Beneath The Surface
by WiccaWoman17587
Summary: The problem with being in love is: It doesn't always run smoothly. There are some secrets that are hard to share. My identity and my destiny are on the line because I fell in love with Rachel Berry. Rated M for later chapters
1. Chapter 1

**Ok. So my first multi chapter fic. I commented a small sin when writing this, i started with the second chapter then had to mold the first chapter to fit, so if it sounds (or reads) weird my apologies. I beg you to at least stick around until the second chapter and judge that one first please.**

**I'm beta-less for this, the first time in a little while, so all mistakes are my own.**

**Disclaimer: I own nothing of Glee or any of the characters. If i did, things would be a lot different. :)**

I watched her eyes, her chocolate orbs flicking over the page in front of her as she absorbed the information from the paper. A gentle smile played on her full lips while her hand flew over a separate sheet, jotting down some notes. When the teacher interrupted the study to interject a vital piece of information, she gave him her full attention. My gaze flicked to the pulse point on her neck, quivering slightly with each beat of her heart. A cautious longing burned in my stomach as I imagined feeling the thump under her skin with my lips. The shrill bell cut through my thoughts and I quickly packed up my books and pen, and then slung my bag over my shoulder. I moved in time with her, stalking her from a safe distance. '_It's not stalking. I'm not hunting. I'm just…_' I had no answer for that.

I followed her scent through the hallway to the choir room and sat next to Santana and Brittany. "Yo Q. Where's your head at?" I pointed to my head, sat atop my shoulders, with a smirk. I earned a glare and the middle finger from Santana. Brittany just smiled at me.

"Where else would it be Sanny?" I raised my eyebrow a little higher at Santana and tried not to full on laugh at her. She scowled and linked pinkies with Brittany. I shook my head, allowing a little chuckle and turned my attention back to Rachel. She was in a heated discussion with Finn. _'The big oaf. Not like he treats her well anyway'_ I took a deep breath, trying to stave off my anger at him when a whisper in my ear startled me.

"Making eyes at Man Hands again, Q?" I stopped myself from jumping in time and instead let out a harsh laugh.

"Stop projecting S." I bit my bottom to stop from grinning while I waited for her response. _'3…2…1…'_

"What the fuck?!" She hissed at me, "Argh, I can't even… Don't make me go all Lima Heights on your skinny little ass." I snorted at her and let out a loud belly laugh.

"Rachel! Seriously?" Finn's voice echoed around the room. All eyes turned to the couple standing by the piano. Rachel had both hands flat against the polished surface of the lid, taking deep breaths with her head bowed. When she wouldn't look at Finn he slammed his fist down next to her hand, causing her to jump back. Everyone was on their feet in an instant and moving to intervene. Rachel raised her head, locking her intense gaze with Finn's.

"Yes seriously, Finn. You can't keep asking that of me then get angry when I don't give in. I've given you my reasons for declining your requests and I'm sorry if they aren't good enough for you. If that's the way you feel then please do not think you have to stay in this relationship." With that, she turned her back on him and marched to her seat, sitting heavily with her arms crossed over her chest and one leg draped over the other at the knee. I couldn't help but snicker at Finn's face. His cheeks were tinged pink, though I couldn't tell if it was from anger or embarrassment, but his mouth hung open slightly in shock.

"You're breaking with me? YOU'RE breaking up with ME? You have to be joking?" His voice was getting louder. He curled his meaty fingers into fists, a motion that was not lost on Puck who took a step closer to him. Rachel shook her head in disbelief, anger brimming beneath her seemingly cool exterior. I could smell it rolling off her like a tsunami of emotion and I had to sit on my hands to restrain myself. It was too tempting to jump over and kick Finn's ass.

"I was unaware I stuttered Finn," she snarked.

"Damn," Santana muttered next to me, "Berry's got game." I smirked at her, the same thing running through my mind.

"Now if you would just sit down, somewhere else, so we can get on with Glee and stop embarrassing both of us? That would be spectacular." She turned her head towards me, her eyes downcast, essentially ending the conversation. Finn let out a grunt and lashed his foot out at an unsuspecting chair. Before it had come to a stop, Puck had his arms around Finn, hustling him out of the room.

"Calm down dude. If you can't control your temper you need to leave." I was impressed with Puck, not knowing he could be so mature. He didn't fight back, just held Finn off until they were in the hall then stood back, murmuring softy, "Now isn't the time or place bro. Just give her some time and take it slow."

Mr Schue chose that moment to enter the room through the other door. Finn held up his hands and stalked off down the corridor. I glanced at Rachel, concerned for her after that very public break up but her face was impassive, her attention focused on Mr Schue and his new assignment. We were separated into partners, having been given duets to perform and I ended up with Rachel. Everyone else had naturally paired up with their friend/significant other, which only left me and Rachel. I glared at Santana as she giggled at my predicament. One half of me was elated. The other; not so much. I was supposed to hate this girl; I had to hate this girl.

"Can we go to the auditorium to practice?" was Rachel's first question to Mr Schue. Not: Why her? Or: Please can I change partners? It shouldn't have made my heart beat faster or made me blush, but it did. Mr Schue waved the question away with a nod of his head. Rachel picked up her bag and turned to look at me expectantly. I sighed heavily and threw my bag over my shoulder, following her dutifully. I avoided watching the sway of her hips or her stunning legs as I trailed behind her, instead focusing on keeping my practiced cool. Once on the stage, she took out a folder from her bag and laid it on the piano, flipping to a section and settling there. I sat on the piano bench and ran my fingers lightly over the white keys, pressing harder on the C to produce the note.

"So, in keeping with the theme, I have a colour coded list of songs that would suit my voice…" She trailed off when I began playing Für Elise, her eyes widening at me and her mouth slightly open.

"What were you arguing with Finn about?" I questioned after a few bars. Her eyes met mine and I was surprised to see sadness there. "You don't have to talk about it if you don't want. I just know how he can be," I said gently. As I finished the first section of the arrangement, my fingers stilled on the keys, giving her the silence to talk if she wanted to.

"He… Well," She huffed and sat on the floor, her legs out straight in front of her, her hands bunched nervously in her lap. "He has been pressuring me into, you know." I swallowed the lump of anger that had bubbled up in my throat. '_That idiotic pig. I swear I will kill him._'

"I told him that I wanted to wait. I have a very clear plan for my future and giving myself away to someone at this age is not in it. I don't understand why he can't understand that." She started biting her bottom lip.

"Because he's an idiot. You shouldn't be coerced into having sex with someone. It should feel right and natural." I gently began tapping the keys again, providing a lilting background to our conversation. She looked at me again, keen chocolate orbs burning into me. She pushed off of the floor and sat next to me on the bench.

"I didn't know you could play the piano," she breathed, her voice barely louder than a whisper.

"I used to when I was younger. But not so much anymore," I replied. With a smile I changed the tune to the 'Chopsticks'. It won me a beautiful melodic laugh from the vision beside me. As I finished I let out a chuckle as well. "See? Talented!" Rachel nodded her agreement and rested her head on my shoulder gently. My breath froze in my lungs. I couldn't think. I couldn't move. I knew I should be screaming at her to get away from me and calling her names, but her hair was so soft against my neck and she smelt of strawberries. The kind that is red, ripe and juicy and perfect in the middle of summer.

"I, uh, should get going. I have a ton of homework to get through," I slid of the bench and picked up my bag not giving her a chance to reply before I stalked off the stage and into the wings.

I occurred to me as I was driving home that we didn't actually pick a song for the duet. '_It'll be fine_' I didn't technically lie, I did have homework to do, but it wasn't a lot, and it wasn't due for a few days. I ate dinner in silence, my father talking more than enough to make up for my taciturnity, and then went to my room. My final thoughts as I let sleep envelop me were of Rachel and home.


	2. Chapter 2

**Wow, Thank you guys. You're all so kind.**

**Mythic-lionheart - You have no idea how much that made me smile. I'm glad I can intrigue you. **

**EAnIL - Thank you. I hope you enjoy the rest.**

**Izabella G. D - Yeah i noticed there weren't many sup fics around. I'm glad i could help ;) Hehe, you'll have to wait and see. The exact nature or Quinn won't be revealed for a few chapters, but in this one you get a little more info.**

**So, yeah. I intended for this chapter to be a dream, but it's seemed better to write it they way it turned out. I hope ya'll like it. :D**

* * *

_I opened my eyes to the breeze tugging at my clothes insistently, the way a small child does to get your attention. I quickly took in my surroundings; the crumbling buildings standing proud against the vivid scarlet sky, the tarmac of the road broken and uneven, the burnt out shells of cars defiant in their silence. I smile crossed my features; I was home. A shrill scream split the air to my left, and I set off at a run across an intersection. My heart thudded faster when I heard a roar from above me. I risked a glance up and set my jaw at the sight of wings. I pushed my legs to go faster, letting out a quiet chuckle when they obeyed and I came close to my top speed. Another scream pierced the evening and I couldn't help but roll my eyes. '__**Great way to stay inconspicuous Lady**__.'_

_I knew I shouldn't think it, but I never understood people who screamed. I skidded to a halt next to a rusted bin and sniffed carefully. My eyes widened at the scent I found. '__**Rache**__**l**'? I shot another look at the sky to see the wings closer and lower, the intense blue reflecting the last rays from the setting sun. I silently cursed my predicament. "Rachel," I whispered as loud as I dared. I heard a sniffle from within the bin and lifted the lid hesitantly. I was met with yet another shriek, and I quickly slapped my hand across her mouth to cut off the noise. Her eyes opened wide and I felt her mouth relax so I removed my hand, trusting her to calm down._

_"Quinn? What's happening?" I could feel the fear radiating off of her in waves. I didn't need to turn around to know the Bruzhyah was about to land. Her eyes flicked over my shoulder and her mouth hung open. "And what is that?" Her finger pointed behind me for emphasis. I raised my eyebrow and licked my lips, letting a sigh filter out._

_"Something that will try to kill us if you don't get out of the bin and move your ass." She flinched at the tone, though in truth she should be used to it; it was the same tone I used at school. Her head nodded after a second and she scrambled to get out of her rectangular hiding place. I gripped her upper arms and pulled out in one swift movement, setting her on her feet gently. I looked her in the eyes, but her focus was again behind me. I took a deep breath and turned slowly. He was stood about 10 metres away from us, his arms crossed across his chest, with a wicked smile on his face. Rachel whimpered as his gaze settled on her and a forked tongue swiped along his lips. I rolled my eyes again and cocked my hip out to the side, putting on my best HBIC face. "Stop trying to scare her, Bruzhyah."_

_He chuckled and licked his lips again, making a show of sniffing the air. "Her scent is intoxicating. An ample gift. You shall be in favour tonight young Schian." His deep rumble of a voice carried easily through the still air and I allowed an impatient huff of breath._

_"She is not a gift, you idiot." I put as much acid into it as I could, but my body was preoccupied with the change. '__**No! No, not here, not now**__.' Menace glittered in his pale green eyes as he caught the change in me. '__**Fuck it**__' I pushed Rachel further behind me and turned to her. "Close your eyes. Please. Promise you won't open them until I say?" She nodded warily, her mouth still slightly agape. I moved her behind the bin and into a crouch, and she closed her eyes tightly, tears appearing in the crinkles at the corners. I turned back to the creature and dropped my shoulders, kicking off my shoes, preparing myself for the upcoming shift._

_I gritted my teeth as my skin cracked and popped open, crimson scales pushing their way through the fragile flesh. My body arched against the burn of bone tearing through meat as shimmering wings erupted from my back. My fingers and toes elongated, ending in razor-sharp talons. I bit back a yelp_

_as my nose flattened, my nostrils becoming slits, and my teeth grew longer and sharper. Once the transformation was complete I levelled out my breathing and shot a grin across the expanse between us. He swallowed discreetly, but I caught the motion and my smile became broader. Adrenaline surged through my veins and I relished it. He grunted and sprinted forward, surprise showing briefly in his eyes when I merely stood there. He mistook this action for fear and increased his speed, a laugh erupting from his throat._

_I waited until the last minute before leaping over his head, twisting in mid-air to land facing him. I slashed my claws down his back, catching the delicate area around the base of his wings, tearing scales away from his skin. He yelled in pain and spun round, anger twisting his features. I smirked at him and attempted to raise my eyebrow, momentarily forgetting I no longer had any. He launched a back hand at my face, the blow connecting with my jaw and snapping my head to the side. He followed up with a swipe to my face, his claws tearing at the tiny scales on my cheek. I snarled against the agony and turned into the blow, spinning and bringing my leg up to land a solid kick to his temple. He dropped to one knee with a dazed expression. I launched another kick at his face, this one leaving his jaw unhinged as I caught him just below his pointed ear._

_He cradled his dislocated jawbone and spread his wings. I stepped back setting my defence but he wasn't on the attack. His gleaming cobalt wings flapped once, lifting him off the ground a few feet. He kept beating his wings and he lifted higher before taking off to the south. I let out a long breath and tried to calming my racing heart. I brought a hand to my cheek, hissing as the stinging increased with the pressure. Drawing my hand away I saw the ruby liquid reflecting the bright twilight above me. I turned back to the bin and stopped in shock. Rachel was stood there, eyes opened wide and hands gripping the lid of the bin for dear life. '__**Brilliant. I asked her to do one thing**__'_

_I walked closer to her, pleased that she wasn't backing away. She was just staring at me, confused but not frightened. I reached her, staying on the other side of her barrier, and shifted nervously. "Rachel? Are you ok?" I was a stupid question. Rationally, I knew that but I had to say something. It seemed to break her from her trance._

_"I must say, though I know this a dream, it feels very real. And although I don't quite understand why my subconscious would choose either the setting, or you to be the lead, I'm finding it very entertaining now." I stared at her incredulously. Something was trying to kill her and she found it entertaining. "You looked shocked Quinn. Or as shocked as I think you can look. And what on earth are you supposed to be? And what did you call him? I don't know how that name came into my dream, I'm sure I've never heard it before." Wow, even in a dream Rachel talked a lot. I smirked._

_"Don't you worry your pretty little head about it Princess," I replied with a laugh. If she thought this was a dream then I wasn't going to correct her._

_"I'm a Princess here? Oh gosh, this is exciting. Though if this is what I have to rule over," she waved her hand in a gesture to include her surroundings, "then either my parents aren't doing a great job or we aren't in Kansas anymore." She looked pleased that she had managed to include a musical reference into her speech. I hung my head in defeat, praying the Bruzhyah would come back. '__**I'd just let him take her**__' I winced, knowing I wouldn't be able to do that. However much I wanted to at this moment._

_"Rachel? Please be quiet." I almost pleaded with her. There were far worse things than the Bruzhyah in this land and I didn't want her to meet any of them. I didn't want __**me**__ to meet any of them, not while I was so unprepared. Her eyes turned to me, annoyance laced with excitement danced across her face._

_"That is not a way to address your Princess now is it Quinn?" I felt a surge of anger course through me and took a swipe at the bin, sending it tumbling down the road with a series of clangs. Rachel jumped back, her fear returning slightly. The scent of it was breath-taking and I had to stop myself from stepping forward and taking her into my arms._

_"I'm sorry. I just have some left over energy from the fight," I supplied feebly in way of an explanation. She seemed to accept this and stepped closer to me, concern etched across her face as her eyes found the wound on my face. When she reached to cup my cheek, I gripped her wrist, not letting her touch me. "Would you like to see your kingdom from the air, milady?" I changed the subject with a chuckle and let go of her wrist which she brought to her chest._

_"Really? You'd fly with me?" Her chocolate eyes lit up and she allowed a dazzling smile that melted my heart. I nodded and moved to stand behind her. As I wrapped my arms around her, she gasped and then snuggled back into me. I let my head fall forward, my mouth brushing over her neck rewarding me with another gasp, this one quieter. Her smell changed slightly and I knew that if I could I would have blushed at her arousal. I cleared my throat gently. "Hold on tight," I whispered, my lips against her ear and I felt her shiver, but she linked her hands over mine and pulled me tight against her._

_I bent my knees and pushed off the ground with a flap of my wings. I found it a bit of a struggle at first, having to adjust for the extra weight, but it soon became easier. Within minutes were gliding above the city and I kept up a running commentary of places. All the while I could feel Rachel's heartbeat pounding in her tiny body as we swooped over buildings and open land. Luckily the moons were full tonight, giving us ample light to see by. I passed low over a stream and landed on the other side in the field. I held on to Rachel even after we landed, loathe to let her go. "Stay there a second. Don't turn around ok?" She bobbed her head in agreement and I grudgingly let her go. I took a few steps back as my skin began to itch._

_I folded my wings in on themselves and pulled them close to my back as the scales receded. I couldn't help the whimper that escaped my lips as my wings sunk into my back and my teeth shortened to their normal length. My fingers reduced in size and my nails returned. With a crunch my nose popped into place and I was left on one knee, panting from the exertion. I looked up to see Rachel standing stiffly and resolutely with her back to me. I could smell the concern rolling off her and immediately took me place behind her again. Pulling her back into my arms, I felt her relax and she raised a hand to grip the back of my neck. "That was magnificent. I swear I will never forget it Quinn." I smiled as I lowered my lips to her jaw, kissing the soft skin just behind her ear. She let out a shaky breath and tightened her hold on me. I slipped my hand under her pale yellow t-shirt, grazing my fingertips across her flat stomach. Again I smelt a rush of arousal flood her body as a moan flew from her lips. I pulled back and turned her to face me, showing no embarrassment when she glanced down to find me naked._

_Her eyes found mine, her pupils dilated so far they looked black. I leant in and placed a kiss against her soft lips. As I flicked my tongue over her bottom lip I felt the air shimmering around us. With a groan, I pulled back from Rachel and looked at her. "This is where we leave it I'm afraid," I whispered._

_"At least I got to the kiss. Most dreams stop before it and leave you frustrated. Now I'm being left frustrated after it." Her mouth curved into a smirk and I chuckled. I reached up to tuck a stray lock of hair behind her ear and kissed her forehead. I saw her eyes were closed as I pulled her against me and I watched as reality slowly devoured the world around me until finally with a pop I was deposited in my bed._

I sat up and stared into the intense black eyes of my father. I heard his growl and before I could register the movement he had me pinned against my headboard, his hand digging into my throat.


	3. Authors Note

Ok. I don't have a picture as such, that would show you what Quinn looks like, and i can't draw to save my life (Unless stick figures are what you're aiming for, then i'm your gal!)

The only way i can describe what is in my head is: Think of Spyro (the cute purple dragon) but red with no horns or crest on the head (just her hair) or ridges down the back, and on two legs. Oh and no tail. As much as i would love for Quinn to have a tail, i don't think she would. Lol.

I hope that helps you visualise her better. If not then i'm sorry and i got nothing.


	4. Chapter 3

**Quinn is a hybrid breed of Dragon. (I've never played Shadow Heart so i can neither confirm or deny similarities)  
Thank you all for reading. Any and all reviews are appreciated, seriously feel free to tell if there is something you like or don't like and i'll do my best to improve.  
Disclaimer: I own nothing and nobody!**

"Would you care to explain to me why you would be so stupid, child?" His growl filled my ears briefly before the pounding of my heart and the rush of blood blocked out the sound. I clawed at his hand and arm to no avail, his grip was tight, but not completely constricting. I tried to give him my explanation but all that came from my mouth was a rasping cough. My father took the hint and released my throat, backing up to the end of the bed. He stood resolute and his anger was as furious as before. I took a few deep breathes and swallowed hard.

"I didn't know she was going to be there. I don't even know how she got there." As before, I didn't even see the movement, I merely felt the sting of his hand meeting my flesh. Thankfully he spared my already wounded cheek. My head snapped round at the contact and the momentum took me off the bed and I landed heavily on the floor. Before I could get up, there was a pressure between my shoulder blades and I turned my head to see him stood next to me, one foot on my back keeping me down.

"She was there because you thought about her before going. You really have no idea what you have done, do you? The elders will know about this." I closed my eyes, forbidding the tears that were waiting to spill from coming forward. I could feel myself shaking and I knew my father did too, but the pressure was unrelenting. "How will you explain it to her if she asks? Perhaps fate won't be as kind to remove her memory of it. What do you have to say for yourself?"

I pressed my forehead into the floor, wishing I was anywhere else at that moment. I pushed out a breath and carefully pulled in another. "She thought it was a dream," was all I could manage. He stepped off me and ran a hand over his face and through his sandy blond hair, smoothing it back down. "I'll find out what she remembers tomorrow." I rolled onto my side and looked up at him. He nodded once before turning on his heel and stalking out of the room, slamming the door on his way. I winced at the harsh sound and curled into a ball, only now allowing the tears freedom to fall.

xxx

I checked my reflection in the mirror, making sure the makeup covering my bruises and the clawed wounds was still in place. Mother had done a pretty good job. I could see when she was applying the thick layers that she wanted to ask what had happen there, but I knew Father would quell any questions she had, so instead her eyes told me I was ok. I snapped the mirror closed, throwing it in my bag, and got out the car. I stared anyone down that dared to look at me, my lips pursed gently and my eyebrow raised. Most of the students chose to find the floor very interesting as I passed.

I opened my locker, pulling out my English and History books and depositing any other books I wouldn't need. I jumped slightly when I closed the door and came face to face with Rachel. I quickly composed myself and levelled my gaze at her. She smiled shyly at me and opened her mouth to speak.

"Are you here for a reason Berry?" I cut her off coldly. Her mouth snapped shut and all emotion left her eyes. My stomach sank at the effect of my words and I mentally apologised to her. Her eyes flicked over both of my shoulders and I sniffed subtly. Santana's and Brittany's scents reach my nose and I mentally cursed whichever God was listening in for sending an interruption.

"No, she's not. She's now leaving, right RuPaul?" Santana sneered over my shoulder. My eyes never left Rachel's, so I got to see every ounce of hurt displayed across her beautiful features. Tears shone

in her eyes as she glanced at me one last time before fleeing to the safety of the restrooms. I let out a breath I didn't realise I was holding and turned to my friends. "Jeez Q! What happened to your face? And I hope the other guy looks worse." I guess the makeup isn't as good as I thought.

I smiled, trying not to wince as it contorted my cheek, cracking the scab slightly. "Nothing. Argument with myself in my sleep." Brittany nodded as if she knew exactly what I meant.

"Lord Tubbington has arguments with me in his sleep." I let out a sigh and raised my eyebrow at Santana. She just shrugged slightly and tipped her head to the side with a small grin. I understood what she was saying 'what can I say, she's cute'. I was never sure if they were completely a couple, or if they just fooled around as friends, but I knew Santana would do anything for her. Either way it mattered little to me. A part of me was envious; they weren't shy about being fairly intimate in public.

"Come on, we need to get to class," I changed the subject quickly and started down the hall. A shove in my side sent me towards the ladies restroom, but I knew it was Santana. I walked in and leant against the row of sinks as Santana pulled her make up out of her bag. She handed me a wipe and I hesitantly began swiping off the concealer. I glanced in the mirror and saw the three parallel scabs were beginning to heal nicely, not as fast as I'd like but I wasn't going to sniff at the advanced rate I had at the moment. I stood patiently as San prepared my skin and then applied the concealer. She didn't say a word but her eyes held many loaded questions. When she was done, I turned to the mirror and smiled; she had done a fantastic job, layering it so it blended well. The only blemishes were in texture if the light caught it wrong.

She packed up her bag, still in silence and turned to walk out the door without looking back at me. "San. Thank you for this. And thank you for not asking about it." She turned slowly and her eyes softened for a moment before she nodded and strolled back out into the hallway. I could see Brittany waiting, a smile lighting up her face when she laid eyes on the Latina. As I followed them, my thoughts skipped to last night. I hadn't even intended to go there. I had just wanted to go somewhere I felt safe and in control. Despite the numerous threats and fights I found in my own land, I knew how to deal with them. It was easy to tell enemies from those loyal to you; here everyone was to be suspected.

I sat in class staring out the window, watching the autumn wind carry the fallen leaves across the ground, trying to decide the best way to talk to Rachel. Perhaps I should wait until tomorrow; my cheek should be fully healed by then. But I knew my father would punish me if I didn't take back good news today. I decided that after Glee would be best. I should have healed a little more by then.

The day went slowly as I prepared what to say. I found myself staring at her from my higher position in the choir room, her head down as she scribbled away in a note book on her lap. Her glimmering brown hair was pushed over her shoulder, framing her face from behind, allowing me to appreciate her profile. A small smile graced her lips but her brow was furrowed in concentration. Santana made a comment about someone that caused Brittany to start giggling, but it was lost on me. They both looked at me, Brittany's mouth open to say something but she was interrupted by Mr Schuester.

"Ok guys, I hope you've all been practicing the songs you choose last time." He looked at us expectantly, his smile faltering when no one said anything. Even Rachel was eerily silent, her head

still lowered toward the book. "Come on. Someone must want to perform?" Instinctively everyone's eyes turned to Rachel as she was usually the first one to volunteer. Kurt and Mercedes looked at each other, grins appearing on their faces.

"We have something Mr Schue!" Kurt proclaimed whilst jumping up and dragging Mercedes down to the front of the class. I rolled my eyes at their display, wondering what they were going to sing, seeing as the theme was love. Brad started playing the intro and the rest of the band picked up the song and I quickly recognised it as Usher and Alicia Keys, My Boo. A giggle made its way to my lips as Kurt began singing, over acting the emotions in the song. When they finished, Mr Schue looked at them skeptically and muttered something under his breath.

"Great guys. Maybe slightly off point, but good. Anyone else?" Eventually everyone had performed, except Rachel and I, and the class was over. Goodbyes were uttered and promises of morning meetings were made as everyone left. I waved off Santana and Brittany as they glanced back at me; still seated and waiting. Inhaling a deep breath to steady my nerves I made my way to the front and sat next to Rachel.

"Hey," I muttered, barely louder than a whisper. She looked up at me, bottom lip between her teeth, forehead creased gently as if surprised to find me here.

"Hi Quinn." She looked around in a slight daze, frowning when she realised that there was no one else in the room. Her lips part in a perfect 'O' shape. "I guess I wasn't paying attention," she mumbled to herself.

"Your attention was elsewhere it seems," I smiled gently with a nod to her book, trying to take a peek at the words scrawled over the page. Her cheeks flushed as she slid her arms across the writing, protecting it. She nodded, sucking in her lips between her teeth. "Do you want to talk about it?"

"What?" Confusion swam in her eyes as she swallowed hard.

"Whatever it is that has you distracted. Do you want to talk about it?" I repeated, trying not to chuckle at her expression.

"I heard what you said Quinn. I was simply expressing my disbelief that you would want to hear about my thoughts or care about them," she said primly. She sat up straighter, her expression now quizzical. I took the jab and rolled with it, well aware that I deserved it. "But seeing as you asked so politely I suppose I could share." She flipped the notebook closed and crossed one leg over the other, resting her hands on her lap. I nodded and tried to look relaxed but I felt every muscle tense as I awaited the words that came from her mouth.

"Did you ever have a dream that felt so real that you that you could almost believe you were actually there, but the subject was so implausible that you know it couldn't have been?" I just nodded, wondering where she was going to go with this, as her gaze captured mine. "I had one of those dreams last night. It was so peculiar and removed from fact that I'm not even sure where it came from. But there was one overriding scene that has held my attention for most of the day." She chuckled and dipped her head, breaking eye contact with me. I had a feeling I knew which part she

was talking about but kept my mouth shut. "It was almost a revelation actually. Although the rest of the dream has been fading slowly, that particular bit is still very much here."

"Sometimes I think we aren't supposed to remember dreams." I mumbled. I looked into her eyes again, my stomach flipping at the intensity I could see there. "Is that what you've been writing today?"

"Yes. And no. I want to remember it. Despite the setting not being ideal and the content random at times, it's the best dream I've had in a long time." She looked at the piano whimsically as if trying to capture a moment again. I shuffled in my seat, not wanting to disturb her. She cleared her throat softly and shook her head, bringing her eyes back to mine. Her lips parted and she lifted her hand towards my injured cheek. I gently grasped her wrist, aware that it mirrored a moment from last night. Instead I brought her knuckles to my lips and pressed gently. Her scent changed subtly and I smiled against her hand, it was dizzying that I had such an effect on her and scary that she had the same effect on me.

"Sometimes it's easier to forge dreams in real life than in your subconscious. You just have to be willing to take a risk." I placed her hand back in her lap and stood slowly. Her mouth was still slightly open and her breathing was shallow. I couldn't help but smile at her as I walked backwards a few paces before turning and leaving the room. I made it to my car without incident, stopping only when I was sat behind the wheel. A beep from my bag had me searching for my phone. My heart started to beat harder when I saw the name flash on screen: Rachel Berry.

**I was wondering if you want to talk tonight. My house? 7pm sharp. Please.**

I smirked at the 'please'. Clearly an afterthought but there none the less. I typed out a reply and pressed send.

**Sure. See you then**

I immediately started writing another text, this one to Santana.

**Hey S. I need a favour. If anyone asks tonight, can you cover me? Please and thank you. Q x**

I started the car, put it into gear and reversed out of the space. The drive home went quickly, my mind preoccupied with both last night and tonight and what might happen. As I pulled into the drive, my phone beeped again.

**Sure thing Q. Don't do anything I wouldn't do. Oh, and you owe me bitch. S x**

A laugh escaped my throat at the typical Santana reply. Approaching the door, I steeled myself for a confrontation with my father. I knew I wouldn't be able to get out of it, I just hoped it was brief and he would listen to me. He was waiting in the living room, perched on the edge of the couch with a small tumbler of whiskey in his hand.

"Did you manage your failure? Or do I have to take care of it for you?" I winced at his tone, more brutal than any act of violence. I sat in a chair facing him and smiled, knowing it would annoy him.

"It's settled. She believes it was a dream, and besides the details are fading quickly. She is of no threat to us." He grunted at me; a guttural noise that, had he have shifted, would have been accompanied by a belch of flame.

"See to it that it doesn't happen again. I will not be so lenient next time. And pray the Elders do not find out. I will not clear up your mess." He stood and started towards the kitchen, no doubt to refill his drink.

"I'm going out tonight. I don't know what time I'll be home." I shuffled back in the chair, making myself comfy.

"Fine, but you will not bring shame to this family with your whore ways." I gritted my teeth. He knew what to say to make me angry and I'm sure he wanted me to attack him, just to give him an excuse to put me in my place. I chose to disappoint him and made my way to my room to get ready for tonight. I was determined to look my best.


	5. Chapter 4

**Mythic-lionheart – Thank you so much. I hope you continue to like it. :D**

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I knocked on her door at 7pm sharp, as directed by her text and waited patiently. I raised my hand to knock again when the door swung open to reveal Rachel looking sheepishly at me. "Hi Quinn. I apologise for making you wait so long. It was unintentional but unavoidable." I smiled in amusement and cleared my throat gently. "Oh, it seems my manners have completely left me today. Would you like to come in?" She stood to the side giving me room to enter her house. As she shut the door I could see her remonstrating with herself over her seemingly rude treatment of me.

"It's fine Rachel. I wasn't waiting that long." I looked around the spacious entry hall that led to the kitchen and living room before settling my eyes back to Rachel. She had changed into a pair of dark skinny jeans that accentuated her legs and curves, and a black tank top. As much as I missed the short skirts I had to admit she looked great in the jeans. She smiled at me as I appraised her outfit.

"You look great Quinn. Would you like a drink?" I flushed at the compliment and shook my head, glancing down at my simple light yellow sundress. Rachel shifted nervously from one foot to the other as her fingers tugged at a loose stitch on the hem of her shirt. After a few moments of silence she gestured to the living room. "Would you like to sit down?" I nodded with a smile. Her behaviour was completely bemusing, but then this was Rachel Berry. She led me through to the open room and sat on the far end of the couch, leaving me more than enough room to sit down.

"So," I started cautiously, "What did you want to talk about?" I tried to keep my tone light but the air weighed heavy between us. It wasn't tense or uncomfortable, but the space was full of unspent emotions. Somehow, sat in the large cream room, with little in the way of furnishings, the atmosphere was stifling.

"Yes. Ok." She adjusted her position to face me fully. "I wanted to talk about our feelings."

I stared at her mutely. All I could offer her was a gesture. I rolled my wrist, indicating for her to continue. She licked her lips and nodded. "I know that you have spent years being awful to me, both directly and indirectly," She paused as my entire face flushed crimson, the make up on one cheek diminishing the blush somewhat. "It's ok, I understand why now. It was out of necessity to hide your true feelings for me. A sort of defence mechanism to protect yourself."

At this point my heart was pounding against my ribs so hard I was sure she could hear it. I wanted to refute everything she was saying. Tell her she was being ridiculous, of course I wasn't protecting myself, there was nothing to protect. But she was right. I hated how I felt about her but rather than admit I felt anything for it was easier to make her life hell. To punish her for just being. I opened my mouth to make an excuse, or apologise, I wasn't really sure but she waved her hand for me to be quiet. She shuffled closer to me, our knees touching. I was amazed that such an innocuous touch could cause such a reaction in my body. My legs were burning; the kind of heat you feel when you've been out in the sun too long, my skin was tingling and my mouth was suddenly very dry.

"I understand," she repeated slowly. "And, as strange as it sounds, I like you too." She let out a rush of breath with an expression of relief. "I know it's bizarre, and perhaps not unlike Stockholm syndrome, but my attraction to you is undeniable." I raised an eyebrow in mock contempt.

"You know that isn't a compliment right?" I asked softly, the smile on my face taking away the edge to my words. "Comparing liking me to falling for someone that holds you captive or hurts you?" With a small intake of breath I realised it was almost exactly like that. I did hurt her, frequently. Not physically, purely emotionally and mentally, but it was still there. I lowered my eyes, the smile falling from my lips.

"Look at me Quinn." Rachel requested quietly. When I didn't comply she moved her index finger to my chin, applying a tender pressure to lift my head and I didn't fight it. My gaze met hers and all I could see was kindness and caring. A part of my heart softened at that look. "I've told you that I understand why you did it." Her hand moved to cup my smooth cheek. "I've seen the way you look at me when you thinking no one is watching." Her voice shook slightly making her sound nervous. "I'm going to kiss you now."

My eyes opened wide in surprise and I nodded my head faintly. I watched as she closed her eyes, her face inching closer to mine and her lips puckering delicately. I pulled her towards me, closing the gap instantly and almost moaned as our lips connected. Her hand moved from my cheek to my hair, fingers threading through my short blond locks. It was different to our first kiss. Where that one had been sweet and soft, this one was hard and pure need. My hands found her waist, pulling her closer to me. A moan tore from Rachel as our bodies connected, her legs moving over mine to straddle me. The contact set my body on fire and I reacted instinctually. My hands lowered to her ass, gripping her hard and pulling her even closer as my hips pushed up to meet hers. My teeth captured her bottom lip, nibbling gently, eliciting a faint gasp.

I left her mouth with a promise of returning soon and trailed my lips along her jaw and down her throat to the soft pulse point I had desired so many times. As my lips met her smooth skin I felt her heartbeat quiver just beneath the surface, the rhythm hard and fast. My closed my teeth around the area in a gentle bite then I flicked my tongue over it to relieve the tension. The vibrations of her groan tickled my lips. My hands slipped up her back, under her top and lightly scratched at her shoulder blades and ribs. Her hips undulated against me, the friction sending my arousal to new heights.

A sharp tug on my hair brought my head up and Rachel crashed her lips back onto mine greedily. Her tongue begged for entrance into my mouth and I eagerly obliged. As our tongues fought for dominance, she continued rolling her hips and her scent was starting to become overwhelming. I broke the kiss and pressed my forehead against her clavicle, my arms wrapping around her waist to pull her into me. "We need to stop."

I felt her nod above me, her chin settling on top of my head and her fingers began teasing the knots she had created from my hair. I gulped down air, trying to calm my rapidly beating heart and ignore the smell of Rachel's arousal. "I'm sorry." I lifted my eyes to meet the fiery chocolate orbs gazing at me intensely. "Or, I'm not, but you know what I mean." I smirked.

"Was that a short sentence from Rachel Berry? No additional paragraphs to add?" That earned me a swat on shoulder and a glare, but the twinkle in her eyes told me she wasn't serious.

"No one has ever made me feel like this. Or kissed me like that. But I am sorry; I shouldn't have let myself get carried away." I smiled and placed a soft kiss to the corner of her mouth. She glanced down and it suddenly seemed to occur to her that she was still straddling me. With a blush she moved back and I reluctantly let her go, straightening out my dress before crossing my arms over my midriff, despising the lack of warmth. Rachel looked up at me shyly through her thick lashes and my breath hitched slightly. "Do you want to stay for dinner?"

"If that's ok," I answered with a grin. She gave me a dazzling smile and grabbed my hand, pulling me up and into her arms. I hesitated for a moment, and then wrapped my arms around her returning her affections. Before the temptation for my hands to start wandering again kicked in, she pulled away from me and led me into the kitchen.

"Is vegan lasagne ok?" She asked as she opened the fridge, removing a few ingredients before closing it with her hip. I nodded enthusiastically. '_What on earth do you use in a vegan lasagne?_´ My question was answered as she started chopping up aubergine and tomato, giving me a running commentary of how to make it; 'just in case I liked it and wanted to cook it for myself', and throwing in digs about animal cruelty at the same time.

I was enjoying just relaxing and letting my guard down with Rachel. It was different, but not unpleasant and I could this becoming a regular occurrence. Just after 8pm I heard the clunk of a closing car door and all at once my palms became sweaty and I couldn't help but glance at the back door, wondering if I could make it out without anyone noticing. At that moment Rachel turned to me and rushed to grip my hand, bending to place a chaste kiss against my lips. "They will love you." I smiled nervously and tried to flatten out any creases I could see in my dress.

I fidgeted awkwardly as Rachel went to greet her father, again eyeing the escape route into the back garden. I heard voices approaching the kitchen and I was met with the kind brown eyes of Mr Berry. I plastered on my best smile and held out my hand. "It's lovely to meet you Mr Berry." He took my small hand in his larger tanned one and gave me a lopsided grin.

"Please, Hiram. Mr Berry makes me feel old." I chuckled and nodded. His smile increased at the concession and I took a second to study him, making a mental comparison to Rachel. He was tall with salt and pepper hair, a long, hooked nose and glasses. He turned to Rachel, "Your father with be a little late, but he said to start without him." She frowned briefly before smiling and nodding. As she went back to plating up the food, Hiram ushered me to the table and sat opposite me. "So Quinn, I was under the impression that you can Rachel weren't really friends."

I swallowed hard and nervously tucked some hair behind my ear. "Not really, no. But I've realised that there is no point in being immature and spiteful anymore." As he studied me, I felt my skin flush under the scrutiny but I looked him in the eye, trying to convey my sincerity. Eventually he nodded thoughtfully and patted my hand before getting up to help Rachel serve dinner.

As we ate, the conversation flowed easily; any nerves were forgotten in the warm atmosphere and the compassionate smile of Rachel's dad. After the meal we moved into the lounge to watch a movie. After a small debate, and a lot of pouting from Rachel, we ended up watching Funny Girl. '_Good to know I'm not the only one that can't resist her pout_' About 10 minutes into the film, Rachel curled up next to me on the couch, lifting my arm to cuddle into my side and draping my arm across her shoulders. After that I found I couldn't concentrate on the large television, instead I was caught up in the scent of the small girl next to me. So caught up, I missed the quiet sounds of the front door opening and closing.

"We have a guest?" All of us jumped at the voice from the doorway. I quickly removed my arm from around Rachel and sat to attention, feeling suddenly uncomfortable. As the man's gaze swept me, my skin prickled and crawled. I wanted to scratch my arms raw at the sensation and began to panic. Taking deep breaths, I tried to compose myself.

"Hey dad. This is Quinn, a friend from Glee," Rachel supplied as she gracefully jumped from the couch and into her father's arms. "I invited her round. I hope that was ok." His eyes moved from me to his daughter and I let out a sigh of relief as the intense feeling subsided.

"Of course sweetie. Did you leave me any dinner?" His voice was light and jovial, completely belying the emotions I could smell. I tried not to pry but his presence was overpowering. My nose picked up two conflicting scents, one was a woody-earth smell and the other was of a hot sulphur. The earthy scent usually meant someone was calm and grounded, the sulphur denoted a fiery temper and extreme anger. It left my head reeling as I tried to process it.

Rachel bounced back down onto the loveseat next to me with a smile on her face. I glanced at the time and decided it would be a good time to leave. I needed to try and understand my reaction to Leroy Berry. I leaned down to Rachel, my mouth close to her ear. "I should be going Rach." My heart dropped as her smile dimmed. "I've had a wonderful night though." She took my hand as we stood. I turned to Hiram. "I'm off now. Thank you so much for dinner and being so understanding." He gave me a wide smile and bid me goodnight. Rachel walked me to the door, still holding my hand tightly.

"I wish you could stay." My heart skipped a beat at those words. As I looked into her eyes I tried to emphasise how much I wanted to stay too. I pulled her closer and brushed her lips with my own. I moved my mouth to the shell of her ear.

"Be my girlfriend?" I didn't move, awaiting her reaction. She wrapped her arms around my neck, pressing impossibly closer to me.

"Yes! Yes yes yes." I laughed as she repeated the word and hugged her tighter. "I'll see you tomorrow then?"

"Of course. Goodnight sweetie," I mumbled against her throat. I pulled away with a heavy sigh and as I glanced over her shoulder into the house, Leroy was stood in the doorway to the kitchen, towel drying his hands. As he appraised me, my skin began itching again. My gaze flicked to Rachel and I smiled faintly at her before turning on my heel and hurrying down the drive. As I sat in the car, I could still feel his resolute stare. I looked at my face in the mirror and could see it was starting to look blotchy. With a burst of panic I waved at Rachel and sped off home, praying that the change wouldn't happen until I got to my bedroom.


	6. Chapter 5

**Dark Angel Baby – Thanks :) All will be revealed, but not yet. Sorry if I tease, but it's fun :p**

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Thanking anyone that was listening, I made my way through the empty house to my bedroom, slamming the doors on my way. I stripped my clothes off as fast as possible, ignoring the stabbing pains in my back and head as I put off the shift for as long as I could. Once naked though, my body wouldn't be denied. It began the painful process of moulding itself into its other form. Over the roaring of blood in my ears, I could hear the pops and cracks of bones breaking and moving. Eventually my body calmed; the pain fading into a bad memory as the muscles twitched and shuddered underneath my scales. I turned to the mirror to take a look at myself.

My crimson scales shimmered, giving the effect of light bouncing off the crests of ever-moving waves, and I found it was soothing. It felt wrong to be in this world as a Schian so sat on my bed and concentrated on home. Unbidden, an image of Rachel jumped into my mind and I quickly pushed it out, not wanting a repeat of the previous night. '_Home. Just think of home. Not R- anything else. Home!_' I slammed my eyes shut and concentrated on seeing my homeland.

A few minutes later, the light had altered behind my eye lids, going from bright and artificial to soft and watery. I opened my eyes and found myself sat cross legged in the broken remains of a high rise apartment. I spent a few minutes looking around to see if I was alone and trying to work what part of the county I had landed. I found an old wrist tag and realised was just outside the city in a small suburb. I made my way out onto the landing, heading for the stairs when I noticed a gaping hole, the size of a van, in the wall of the building. A smile crept across my face and I ran at the void, tucking my wings around me as I passed through it. In an instant I was hurtling towards the ground, gaining speed with each moment. At the last second I spread my wings and heaved my body up, passing low over the concrete and skimming a broken fence before righting myself and landing near a set of swings that were, remarkably, still standing.

As I took a seat on the left swing, a voice made me jump. "You always were a child at heart here, Quinn." I settled again as soon as I recognised the voice.

"If I can't be a child here, where can I be one, San?" I watched her step out of the shadows, the moonlight glinting off her fiery orange scales. "How long have you been here?" She shrugged lightly, taking the remaining swing.

"Since before the sun went down. I just needed time to think away from the smell of humans." She snorted distastefully as I laughed at her distain. She wrapped her arms around the metal chain and started swinging gently, the sporadic groan of the rusted links under Santana's weight the only noise cutting through the still air. "If something happened to you, you would tell me, right Q?" I turned to look into her burning brown eyes and smiled at the uncertainty there.

"I brought Rachel here last night." I stated simply. The whining of the metal stopped immediately and Santana was in front of me in a flash, on one knee, claws digging into my thighs. I watched as one of her wings twitched in agitation.

"What?! Are you crazy? What happened?" I reached round her to smooth down the ridge of her wing, calming the convulsions for a few seconds. There was only concern in her eyes, no anger that I hadn't told her earlier.

"It was an accident. I couldn't stop thinking about her and I just wanted to be home for a little while." I knew I wouldn't have to explain myself to her, and she would never ask unless I gave the impression I was willing to share. I explained how the Bruzhyah found Rachel and we fought, then how I flew her over 'her' kingdom to the fields to the south. My pulse began racing as I thought about being close to her, holding her and the kiss; though I left out that detail when telling Santana. She was sat back on her heels, a position hard to maintain once we had shifted, but she made it seem easy.

"How did she take it?" Her chuckle rumbled through me, bringing a small smile to my face.

"Well! She thought it was a dream and I didn't correct her." Santana climbed to her feet and stretched out, scales glittering in the dim light.

"Is that what you two were yapping about today, after Glee?" I looked up, unaware that she had stuck around to see that. I saw nothing in her intense gaze to suggest she had heard our conversation.

"Yeah, I needed to find out what she remembered. Not much as it turns out." Santana smiled at me and held out her hand. I gripped it without hesitation and let her pull me to my feet.

"Dive by?" I snorted at her, barely remembering the game we used to play as children. Her mischievous grin was infectious and I found myself returning it with a goofy smirk of my own. When we first began playing the game, it was a challenge between the two of us. We would fly as high as we could then free-fall for as long as we could bear, then pull up. The person that lasted the longest was the winner. As we grew older it turned into a team sport. Instead of competing against each other we would team up and a find a target. Usually a Bruzhyah was the victim. We would ambush a young one and as soon as it submitted we would leave…Or kill it.

"You're on." I shook the hand I still held in my own and let go, turning towards the road and pushing off as hard as I could. I laughed at the muttered curse behind me and beat my wings to take me higher. Once I'd reached a manageable altitude, I relaxed and waited for Santana to catch up.

"That's not clever you know," came the slightly puffed out sarcastic comment from my right. I chuckled and stuck out my tongue.

"You're out of practice San. You clearly need to do more laps at practice," I teased gently.

"I'm sorry we haven't all been carrying the Hobbit around recently. That's gotta build up muscles for sure," she snarked at me. I pulled up, thumping my wings softly to keep me aloft.

"Don't call her that." I shot back, defensively. Santana's head whipped around; aware I was no longer by her side and she twisted elegantly in the air to pull alongside me again.

"What do you care if I insult RuPaul? Unless you're best buddies now?" She questioned me, incredulous at my protection of Rachel. I looked away, unable to meet her inquisitive eyes. "No way. You are not gay for Berry?!" I let out a heavy sigh and flapped my wings harder, taking me away from my laughing friend.

"Shut up San." I wasn't angry at her; I'd reacted much the same way when she told me she had fallen for Brittany.

"I mean, Berry? She's just a human." Again, I acknowledged the distain in her voice, this time with a small shrug of my shoulders.

"Brittany is 'just a human' and you seem pretty into her. Oh, just how do you manage to contain your abhorrence of humans when you're bedding one?" I couldn't help the edge that crept into my voice. I wasn't fair that Santana would choose my love to be less important than her own. I let out a shocked yelp when my leg was yanked hard from beneath me. I fell about 50 metres before my instincts kicked in and I levelled out. "I'm not playing Santana. If you want to fight, find something else to do it with."

I heard her growl before she shunted into me, dropping me the rest of the way to the ground. I rolled with the landing, cushioning the fall with the soft skin of my wings. A quiet thud behind me told me she had landed, but I ignored her as I got to my feet. I quickly assessed the surroundings and realised we were miles outside of the city. I felt air shift around my head and ducked in time to watch a fist swipe over me. I turned as I crouched and shot out a foot, hooking Santana's heel and I pulled her leading foot out from under her. She fell with a shout and I jumped back, crossing my arms over my chest.

"I told you, find something else to fight." As she stood up, brushing herself of, she looked behind me.

"Found something else." I heard a low hiss and rolled my eyes.

"Mennyor? Really?" I tried not to snap, but the small creatures got on my nerves. I turned to face it and blanched. Rounding the corner were four of the squat beasts. They resembled a cross between a stocky Rottweiler and an ape. I shot a glance at Santana and saw her sat back on her haunches, ready to launch herself into the fight as soon as they got close enough. Knowing she would never best four of them, I sighed and prepared myself as well.

The Mennyor waddled forward, legs set so wide apart there really was no other word for the way they moved. They walked on all fours, unless they were in combat, at which point they would stand on their hind legs and swipe with both front paws. Their black fur was matted and dirty, their short snouts covered in residual slobber and their eyes were a gleaming silver colour, standing out against the dark background of their coats.

All at once they hissed and began running towards us, their bodies rocking rhythmically. I saw Santana laugh next to me, urging the frothing brutes forward with her hands. The front Mennyor let out a loud roar before he pounced at me, the second one in line heading for Santana. I snapped a roundhouse kick at his nose, earning a yelp from him. His tongue flicked out to assess the damage as he reared up, the talons on his front paws looking wickedly sharp. I ducked an attempted punch and landed one of my own into his hard underbelly. It pushed him back an inch or two, but other than that he gave no indication that he felt it. I stood to my full height, dodging another jab and let my foot fly again, connecting with his shoulder this time. He let out a grunt and turned his shoulder away from me.

As he swiped his claws across my midriff, catching me slightly, he put me a little off balance. I gripped his arm, going with the momentum and pushed all my weight against the joint, forcing it the wrong way. A grim smile graced my lips as the felt the bone give way and crunch. I tossed the creature away from me and turned in time to catch the jaws of the next Mennyor as it came close to my head. With a growl of my own, I tore my hands apart, wrenching the top of his head back while the bottom jaw stayed in my hand. He tried to let out a scream but the blood now spilling from his mouth covered it and turned it into a quiet gurgle. I looked over to see San had already disposed of one, its head at an obscure angle that no mortal could survive.

In those few seconds the first beast took the opportunity to attack me from behind. I winced as its teeth sunk into my thigh, my scales protecting me from the worst of the bite but it was still deep enough for me to feel. I landed a knuckle blow over his eye and he fell to the ground. In seconds he was on his feet again, paws rising like a boxer. I rolled my eyes. '_I've forgotten how resilient they are_' As he lunged toward me again I dodged to the right and flattened out my hand, throwing it, talons first, into the soft skin beneath his arm. My claws tore at the flesh easily and once my hand was inside I kept pushing, looking for my target. As soon as I felt the soft, beating muscle I gripped it hard and pulled with all my strength. With a screech, the Mennyor dropped to the ground, blood pumping slowly from the hole I'd just created. I dropped his heart next to his body.

I stole a glance at the second animal and found it lying in a pool of its own blood, small air bubbles popping lazily in its broken mouth. I didn't spare it a second thought. I walked over to Santana and gripped her upper arm. "You ok?" She stood straighter; her lips twisted into a grimace and she took her foot off the throat of the final Mennyor. I noticed a cut on her neck and a small chunk had been taken out of her hip but other than that she looked ok.

"Yeah, I'm good. They're just flesh wounds," she shot a look at the two beasts I'd killed and the discarded organ on the floor. "Jeez Q. Do you just like to bloody approach, or are you doing it for the effects?"

I gave her my best HBIC smile and slapped her on the back. I scanned the road, looking for anymore Mennyor, but couldn't see anything out of the ordinary. "We should go S. It's getting late." She nodded her consent and closed her eyes. I copied the action and concentrated on changing back to my human form.

I let out a shaky breath and climbed to my feet, stretching out my back, wincing at the tender spot on my thigh. I felt Santana's eyes on me and turned with a grin on my face, "Perv." Her tongue peeked out from between her lips.

"I'll see you tomorrow Q," she gave me a little wave before the world began fading out. I closed my eyes, not wanting to watch the dizzying progression of reality as it swallowed my world. When I opened my eyes again I was stood in front of my bedroom door, my back to the room. With a sigh I turned to the clock by my bed and saw it was only just gone 11pm. I'd been gone an hour and a half. A flashing LED caught my attention, and I realised it was my phone. Opening the message, I saw it was from Rachel.

**I miss you already. Goodnight Quinn xx**

I checked the time stamp on it. 20 minutes after I left her. Guilt flooded me as I sat down on my bed. I knew what Rachel was like, she was would over analyse my silence and think something was wrong. I quickly replied.

**Sorry sweetheart. I had to do a 'family thing'. Goodnight and sweet dreams. Xx**

I hoped it was enough and wearily made my way to the shower. Under the warm spray, I was hit by a wave of fatigue and had to shake off the temptation to curl up and sleep in the warm cubicle. I managed to haul myself out of the bathroom and into bed, slipping on a pair of shorts and a loose tee on my way. I checked my phone one last time and saw I had another message.

**Rachel: I hope you are ok. I think my dreams will most definitely be sweet if you are in them xx**

I felt my cheeks colour at the insinuation and put my phone down, letting sleep claim me in its absolute oblivion with a soft smile on my face.


	7. Chapter 6

**Agarza1538 – Thanks. I had only planned so much for this fic, but I had an idea the other day that turned this into something bigger. I hope you like it**

**Dark Angel Baby – Yes, I'm actually enjoying writing Santana. She's feisty but you know she would do anything for Brittany, I didn't want to mess with that. I love Faberry too! I just hope I write it well enough.**

**LionAgron – :) Thank you for reading.**

**Sorry this has taken a little while again to get out. I was having a little writers block half way through. Sorry if it's not great. I will try and do better.**

**Disclaimer: Blah, Blah, the usual. :)**

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Normally I didn't skip breakfast, but this was the morning I made an exception. I didn't want to interact with my parents or answer their questions, and I certainly couldn't be bothered to sit through my father's hostile stares. My good mood wouldn't be ruined. I bit back a grimace at the ache in my injured thigh as I skipped up the front steps of the school. There were only a few other students around this early so didn't have to avoid bumping anyone for now. As I approached my locker, my heart lost its usual rhythm when I saw that Rachel was leaning against the neighbouring locker to mine. She had a few sheets of music in her hands and her frown indicated she was concentrating hard on the piece.

I waited until I was closer to her. "How early do you get here?" I teased gently. Her head whipped round at the sound of my voice, a brilliant smile on her face.

"Early enough," She stepped closer to me before sparing a quick glance around us. I sniffed shallowly and couldn't smell anyone else near us, so assumed it was safe. "Good morning." Her voice dropped in tone, a silky smooth quality sending shiver through my body. I couldn't help the grin that curled my mouth upwards as she leant towards me. I whimpered quietly when her lips collided with mine, her taste filling every one of my senses, and I pulled her into me. The kiss was passionate but brief, and we were left with promises of what were to come. I begrudgingly pulled away from her and moved to my locker, opening it quickly and exchanging some books.

"You were waiting for me?" I questioned with a smirk. She quirked her eyebrow at me and flashed her teeth in a predatory fashion.

"I missed you. Is that a crime?" She inched closer, her fingers toying with a pleat in my Cheerios skirt. My breath hitched as I looked into her smoky chocolate eyes. "You know, it's not easy to watch you in these short skirts and not take advantage." At that admission, my jaw lost a fight with gravity and it dropped as far as it was able. After a beat, I cleared my throat and tried to compose myself, though I could feel the heat pushing its way to my core.

"Pot, kettle, black," I replied with a look at her current outfit. Yes, the cream panda jumper wasn't particularly flattering, but the black mid-thigh length skirt more than made up for it.

"Touché," was all she said as she allowed a devilish smile.

"Are you ok, Rach? You seem a little different," I asked hesitantly. Her face fell a little, turning into an insecure expression as her teeth began worrying her bottom lip. "Not that I'm complaining," I hurried to assure her, sexy Rachel could never be a bad thing, "I just want to make sure you're ok." I stroked a hand over the upper arm.

"I'm not all that innocent, you know?" There was no hard tone to the words, just honesty, "It's just that I trust you, and as my girlfriend I would have thought it was ok to be able to myself around you. If, however, you don't like it, I can-"

I cut her off with a chaste kiss. "I love it. I just had to ask." She graced me with a sweet chuckle, a melodic reverberation from her chest that gave me goosebumps up and down my arms. I stepped back from her instinctually when a heard the steady clunk of footsteps around the corner. After a few paces I recognised the gait and rolled my eyes with a huff. As he turned the corner behind me, I noticed Rachel stiffen and glance at me. I gave her a tight smile.

"Rach, there you are. What are you doing with her?" I silently laughed as I pictured his face as he was talking. He would start off with the goofy lopsided grin that he thought was 'adorable'. Then when he realised who Rachel was stood with it would change to confused, then to angry. He voice confirmed my thoughts.

"Finn," her voice was cutting and I couldn't help the cheers that rang throughout my head, "Her name is Quinn, and it's none of your business what I'm doing with her. Now, if you'd kindly move on, we were in the middle of something."

He turned to me. "What are you going to do to her?" The unspoken accusation hung in the air and I felt my cheeks flush with anger. "If you hurt her…" I couldn't help the bitter laugh that burst from my throat.

"You'll what Finn? Kick the crap of an inanimate object then sulk about it for a few days? Oh wait, that was when YOU hurt her." I unclenched my fists and tried to push my anger away before it got hold of me.

"I didn't hurt her. Tell her Rach." He looked imploringly at Rachel, his face softening into a down-trodden puppy dog look.

She straightened and looked him in the eyes. "Yes you did. You didn't treat me like a person. You objectified me and used me. When you couldn't get your own way you lashed out at me," I flinched and shot an evil look at Finn, ready to throw a punch at him, "Metaphorically speaking. I'm tired of your childish behaviour. I thought I was in love with you, but I was wrong. I was in love with the idea of you. Thank you for helping me realise that, but please be clear, we will never be an item again."

She took a breath and shook her head gently to emphasise her point, lowering her eyes to the floor. Finn took a step towards her, his face contorted with anger. Before he could take another, I moved between them and jabbed my finger into his chest.

"Back off Jolly Green Giant. You heard what she said. I think it's best if you leave. Now." I left no room for argument in my voice. His face began to go red, starting at his large forehead then draining steadily down his cheeks to his chin. I watched in amusement as the vein in his forehead started protruding.

"Rachel! You can't be serious!" His voice came out as a growl and his scent changed. I couldn't put my finger on the difference, but it smelt destructive. I shuffled back enough to be able to feel Rachel against me, and began observing every twitch and movement from Finn.

"Do you have a deficiency of something important that is keeping you from realising that were are no longer together, we will never be together and that I want you to leave now?" Rachel's voice was a little higher than normal and sounded nervous, a reaction to his aggression. With a snarl his threw his fist at the row of lockers, coming within inches of my head. I stopped myself from flinching as I checked the trajectory and managed to shift Rachel away, just to be sure. I pushed Finn back to give us space and he wheeled away, directing a kick at the opposite bank of lockers as he went.

"Fine, but don't come running to me when that little bitch uses you and hurts you." He smirked then stalked off, shoulders hunched and head down. I released the breath I had been holding and turned to Rachel, aware that people were just starting to filter through the doors of the high school.

"Are you ok, sweetheart?" I kept my voice low, the conversation just between the two of us. She locked her big brown eyes onto mine, her frown smoothing out to a tender smile.

"I'm fine. Thank you for protecting me," her voice turned sultry and my body couldn't help but react to it, "my knight in shining armour. How can I ever repay you?" I held it together until she drew her bottom lips between her teeth, her tongue brushing it lightly, dampening it. That was it. I backed her up against the lockers, hard; my hands on her shoulders, my nose touching hers. A gasp escaped her mouth and I could smell the flood of arousal that had pooled between her legs. It was sweet and musky, and my mouth was watering at the thought of tasting her.

"Q! Put the dwarf down." Santana's voice sliced through tension and snapped me out of it. I sighed heavily and pushed away from Rachel.

"Be nice S," I forced my voice to be light and sing-song, but our conversation and almost fight from last night ran through my mind. In the aftermath of our battle the words were forgotten, but in the cold light of today I realised we needed to finish it.

"I'll see you later Rach, ok?" Her eyes were wide and slightly glazed, but she nodded and flashed me a quick smile before shooting Santana a wary look and walking in the direction of her locker. "What do you want Santana?" I folded my arms in front of my chest and fixed her with a harsh stare.

She levelled her gaze and returned the look, "We need to talk." I waited, not giving her an inch. "Look, I was out of line getting angry at you last night. That doesn't mean I understand why you want Berry or that I give you my blessing, 'cause it's the Hobbit, so no!" I raised an eyebrow, letting her know that she was stepping close to the line. "But, whatever, it's your life. Just don't bring the rest of us down." She smoothed down her uniform with the backs of her fingers and I understood that this was purely about standing. My associating with Rachel was bad for the Cheerios.

I laughed, "That's what you care about? Popularity and what they think of us? That's ridiculous." She whipped her head up to look at me again.

"Is it? It helps us blend easier. No one questions our decisions," her voice lost its conviction as she went on and I tried to figure out the reason she was so adamant, "and if we don't have that, I can't…" She sagged, all the fight of the Schian was gone and all that was left was a vulnerable young girl, "I can't protect her." She blinked rapidly, trying to stop the tears from falling and in that moment, I loved her more than I thought possible. She was my best friend and the only one that really knew me. I pulled her into a tight embrace and traced soft patterns over her back.

She trembled and buried her head in the crook of my neck. We needed no words, I understood everything. For now I wouldn't push the issues that I desperately needed to talk to her about, instead we stayed like that for a few minutes. Eventually her shivering subsided and she relaxed into my arms.

"Brittany will be here a minute." Her lips were pressed against my collarbone, muffling the words and tickling my skin. I smiled and let her go, stepping back and giving her some space. On cue, Brittany skipped into the hallway and headed straight for Santana, wrapping her arms around her when she reached her. I watched with a smile and then gave them both a little wave before heading towards my first class, wanting to go over some notes before the test I knew was coming. Some teachers just weren't good at the surprise part of surprise tests.

Eventually the bell rang and students started filing in, taking their seats and I had to smile when the teacher breezed through the door and announced a quiz. The collective groan from the seats around me was laughable in its despair. The test was easy and I completed it with half of the allotted time left, so I used the pretence of checking my answers as an excuse to think about Rachel. I had come to terms with my attraction to her but was surprised at the ferocity of my feelings. When I was with her I ached to touch her, my lips burned to be on hers. Santana was right; she was just a human. But there was something about her, something deeper that drew me in; had drawn me in from the first moment. To have her return those feelings, at least in some part, was something I had never expected, she always seemed so wrapped up in Finn for me to even consider the possibility.

The ringing bell broke me from the mental ramblings and I packed up my stuff, taking my paper to the front and handing it to the teacher. The rest of the morning passed in much the same way, I spent my time thinking through this situation. It wasn't unheard of, or even against the rules for Schian to have relationships with humans, but having children with them was forbidden. I smiled at that, it wasn't an option for me so I didn't have to worry.

When lunch rolled around, I found myself excited at the possibility of seeing Rachel. This morning felt like weeks ago and my body yearned to be near her. As I sat down in the cafeteria, opposite Santana and Brittany, my phone beeped.

**Rachel: Where are you having lunch today? x**

I replied quickly and less than five minutes later she walked through the door, tentatively approaching our table. When she was close enough I grabbed her wrist and pulled her the rest of the way, sitting her next to me.

She leaned into me, "Is this ok?" I looked at her with a smirk and she flicked her eyes towards Santana. I understood immediately.

"She's fine, just ignore her."

"I heard that, Q." She raised her eyebrow at me and turned to look at Rachel. "Yes, it's fine Hobbit, just be cool yeah? And don't talk too much." I sighed and shook my head. That was the best we were going to get from San today. She turned back to Brittany and carried on their conversation.

"She'll get nicer. I promise. She's like that with everyone." I rubbed my thumb over the outside of her thigh as discreetly as possible, smiling inwardly at the blush that crept into her cheeks. We ate lunch in relative silence, sharing secretive glances and small touches, content in the quiet. After we separated I moved placidly through the afternoon, concentrating when I needed to, dismissing everything else. I was disappointed to have cheer practice after school, meaning I wouldn't see Rachel until tomorrow. I swallowed my frustrations and took them out on the rest of the squad, pushing them harder than normal to the approval of Sue. The only girl who didn't grumble under her breath at the tougher practice was Santana. She enjoyed the challenge I presented and didn't seem fazed when I asked the seemingly impossible of them. I collapsed on to my bed and let sleep encompass me, not bothering to change or stay awake for dinner.


	8. Chapter 7

**LionAgron - Thanks. :) I didn't really think it was but thank you. x**

**So, a little time skip here 'cause it would be too tedious to write every single day of the two weeks. I don't have that much patience, or enough to fill it. :)**

**Please R&R, your thoughts keep me writing. **

**Disclaimer: I own nothing and nobody. Shame ;)**

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Two weeks had passed and we had fallen into much of the same routine. We would have stolen moments before school, eat lunch together and on days where I didn't have cheer practice, we would meet at Rachel's and I would have dinner there. Of course the lack of proper privacy led to heated make out sessions and a lot of sexual frustration. I knew Rachel wanted to wait and I had no problem with that, but trying to keep my hands off her was becoming a near impossible task. The only thing that managed to cool me down was the presence of Leroy Berry. Not wanting a repeat of our first encounter, I always made sure to leave before he came home. Every now and then I got it wrong or he came home earlier than expected and I had to make my excuses.

As I made way home through the rain, I cursed the weather. I was soaked to the bone and freezing cold. Sue didn't see anything wrong with making the girls train in the downpour, telling us it would make us better people. I shook my head bitterly. I hated the cold. I pulled onto the drive and got out as quickly as my frozen body would allow and dived into the house. I shouted a speedy greeting to my parents and raced up the stairs, intent on removing my sopping clothes and getting into a blissfully warm bath.

After lying in the soothing water until my stiff muscles began to relax, I towel dried my hair and curled up on my bed in a tank top and a pair of shorts, intending to relax until dinner was ready. A shift in the air had me on my feet instantly; a shiver racing down my spine a draft caressed my bare legs and arms. Nausea pervaded my stomach and I hurried into the bathroom to empty the remainders of my lunch into the toilet bowl. With my senses cleared a little I acknowledged the pull I was feeling. I concentrated to the feeling and eventually recognised it as a call. I was being pulled into the other world. At my recollection of the sensation, it got stronger. With a sigh I let go of my resistance closed my eyes briefly.

Upon opening them, I stood before a set of pure white marble doors, the tiny crack running vertically the only blemish I could see. A glance around me told me l was in the waiting room the Elders used to hold people before an interrogation. I swallowed hard. This wasn't good. The Elders were notoriously hard on even the slightest infringement of the law. I tried to go over in my head the times I had broken the law but as soon as I tried to think about it a sharp pain emanated from my temple.

I raised my hands to my head, trying to stop the pain from getting worse. A loud crack in front of me took my mind off the pain, and the doors swung open to reveal the Elders chambers. Everything was still in white marble but in here there were veins of Onyx stone breaking up and emphasising the lines. Either side of me columns emerged from the walls; they almost shimmered with luminosity and were the only source of light for the room that I could see. They ran the full length of the wall, branching out when they reached a point and arching up the vaulted ceiling. The vivid colours of the murals captured my attention instantly, each depicting an epic battle from my species past.

"If you could pay attention child, we would be most grateful." The voice startled me and I swung round to face three ancient beings. The two flanking Schian were a pale pink, like they were caught in a storm and the rain washed away their colour. The Elder in the middle was pure white, giving his scales the effect of porcelain until he moved, and then his skin glittered like a disco ball.

"What's a 'disco ball', child?" It was the Elder on the left that had spoken; her voice soft and yet crackled, it wasn't unlike the effect of crinkling crêpe paper. I smiled and bowed low before righting myself.

"It's a ball that is covered in small pieces of mirror, that when turned, reflects the light all over the room." It didn't surprise me that the Elders could read my thoughts; it was just frustrating having to channel them into coherent sentences.

"I'm sure it is young one, but it is necessary as I'm sure you can appreciate." I nodded that I could. "I'm guessing you know why you're here." Before I could stop myself, my mind conjured up a picture of Rachel. "Ah yes. This girl must be a very powerful human to have manipulated your thoughts enough to be brought here. Would you like to explain to us what happened?" I took a deep breath and tried not to think too much, knowing the effect of thinking and speaking at the same time would be very loud and confusing.

"I wanted to be somewhere safe and that place is here for me. But I was also thinking about the human, evidently more than I thought I was. When I opened my eyes and I was home I was relieved, and then I heard a scream." I stopped and watched in fascination as the rest of the scene played out like a movie in the space between us. I felt my cheeks colour when it came to the kiss but their expressions didn't change. I intended for the memory to end there but the images just kept coming. I saw my father attack me, his words stinging all over again. Then the school day played out including my return home. With a cry I stopped the memory, chest heaving with the effort.

The Elder on the right turned his snout up. "What is so special about this human?" I searched for the right words, but there were none that fit Rachel or how I felt about her.

The first Elder smiled, showing her pointed teeth to the fullest, "It's simple Arthuur. It is love. There is no reason, it just is. Do you not remember?" She shot him a pointed look and I swallowed a laugh. He cleared his throat and looked away.

"What is my punishment?" The words escaped my mouth before I had a chance to stop them. My skin prickled as the attention of all three Elders trained back on me. They suddenly seemed closer to me, towering over my small frame. I suddenly became very aware I was standing in my vest and shorts and tried my best to cover myself up. "I mean, I understand that it broke the laws to bring a human here so I will accept the punishment you hand to me."

"**You would so readily accept a punishment for an accident? Even though your ****_father_**** handled the punishment in his own way**?" The gravelly voice echoed loudly in my head, deepening in distain as he pronounced the word Father. I looked to the pure white Elder and nodded while his expression remained quizzical. "**We do not condone violence against those placed within ones care.**" I couldn't help but be absorbed by his words until the realisation hit me full in the chest.

"He's not my father?" All three Schian shook their heads. "And my mother?" Fear began blooming in my stomach. I could handle knowing that the man wasn't my father, but I loved my mother.

"**She is your blood mother. Russell Fabray was the strongest of us living amongst the humans, and the only one that could protect you should a Hunter come looking. Sadly he has lost sight of the bigger picture and become institutionalised there. Make no mistake child, he will be taught that violence is not the worst punishment one can hand out.**" Despite the weight of the words I smiled gently. The man had been terrorising me for the last 15 years. As soon as I was able to walk, talk and think he began his 'tough love' approach. '_Then who is my father?_' the thought sprung into my mind unbidden and I slapped my hands over my mouth uselessly. The middle Elder stood from his chair and the other two took this as an indication they should leave. They stepped down from the platform and walked to the back of the room, the wall flickering briefly as they exited through it, then it hardened again, unblemished.

"The Elders can procreate only twice. We must choose carefully and wisely. In most instances we don't see our offspring again, it makes the separation easier. Have you never noticed that no other Schian you've seen is the same colour as you? None are as vibrant, as strong or as intelligent as you?" I looked at him sceptically. I wasn't something I'd thought about before. I had wondered why I wasn't similar to Russell, his colouring favouring a deep, dull burgundy, but I just assumed I was a mixture of him and my mother, she being a glittering bright pink. "No, you take after your blood father."

An image forced its way into my mind of this elder, younger and more muscular. His scales radiated the most beautiful shade of red I'd ever seen. As he moved his skin seemed to ripple, like ocean waves and I was truly captivated by the scene. Then I understood why he was showing me this. "You're my father?" He nodded. His wings twitched against his back for a second so he stretched them out, then settled them tight behind him again. I let that information wash over me, unsure of what to feel.

"I know this is a lot to take in and I'm sorry for springing it on you like this. Like I said, most of us never meet our children." He looked at me, his light brown eyes shining with, what I hoped was pride. "Yes, with pride. You are more beautiful than I could have ever hoped. You fight like no one before you and your courage knows no bounds. Of course I am proud of you, daughter." I couldn't help the tear that made its way down my cheek, but made no move to wipe it away.

"Where do I go from here?" It came out as a whisper.

"You go back. You wait until you are called." He placed a hand on my shoulder. "And let yourself love her."


	9. Chapter 8

**EAnIL – Thank you so much. It means a lot. I hope I can continue to make this story entertaining.**

**Agarza1538 – Hehe, I live for twists. A few more around the corner, I promise! Lol, patience, we'll get to Leroy! Maybe one – two chapters tops!**

**So I was trying to figure out how to end this story and where exactly to do that and I had an epiphany of sorts. I have a cunning plan, that involves there being two other parts to this story; a prequel and a sequel. This made me inexcusably excited! Sorry I just had to share my geekiness with you. **  
**Anyway, on with the story.**

**Disclaimer: Blah, not mine, blah**

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I found myself back in my bedroom, stood staring into the mirror my sharp features. I could see the odd flash of my mother, but it was the parts of a stranger that I was trying to pick out. What did I inherit from my father? I lifted my fingers to my cheeks pulling gently at the skin, changing the image before me. A gentle knock on my already open door startled me. My mother was shifting slowly from one foot to the other, worry in her light brown eyes. "Are you ok?" I asked tentatively.

"You're father has disappeared." A tear slipped from the corner of her eye and it only served to make me angry.

"No. My father is safe and well and actually cares about me. Russell may have disappeared, but I can't see how I should give a damn about that." My voice was loud and harsh. She gasped at my outburst.

"Oh Qunnie! How..? When did you find out?" More tears were falling now, dirty tracks marking their progress down her cheeks. I just shook my head at her.

"All those times he punished me, over nothing, and you didn't stop him. You didn't say a word. Why would you do that?" I could feel the rage burning in my stomach; threaten to unleash the dragon in me. An instant before I reached that point I thought of my father. My true father. With his gentle rumble of a voice and his overwhelming pride in me. He wouldn't have wanted this. I shook my head again.

"How do you know about Alggren?" She repeated. Alggren. Now I knew his name.

"I was summoned to The Elders chambers. They wanted to discuss the circumstances that led to a human being our world." I heard my mother inhale sharply and then the gentle slap of her hand covering her mouth.

"I felt the shift, but it seemed different somehow. Less pure. You took a human over?" I looked her in the eyes, not backing down from her. If The Elders considered me punished enough then I wasn't going to explain myself to anyone else. She took a deep breath in through her nose, rolling her shoulders back in the process. I recognised the look on her face; it was the one she wore when Russell would punish me, cold and detached. "What is your penance?"

I cocked an eyebrow at her and folded my arms in front of my chest. "Nothing. They deemed me appropriately disciplined by that man." Her eyes flashed red for a moment, before settling to the light hazel that so closely matched my own.

"That's why they took him away? Because he saw fit to punish you?" Her tone was harsh, no traces of the love she should hold for her daughter. I knew Schian family wasn't as conventional as it should be, but I saw the way Santana's parents were with her. As close to a human family as you could get. They loved her despite her flaws; they even accepted that she loved a human girl. Fear tugged at my heart, only now the thought that my own mother would choose a man over me entering my head.

"He saw fit to abuse me," I bit back, my voice flat and emotionless. She scoffed at me.

"Abuse? You're an insolent child. If anything, he was lenient on you." She sounded disgusted and my stomach rolled in response. This was it. I fought to control my breathing, trying to even it out. "Pack your things. I don't even want to look at you."

All the breath left me as I felt my heart break in two. I gulped in air when my chest began to burn. "But Mum, I didn't do anything." She looked me up and down with distain.

"You think we didn't know about that little human harlot you've been courting? On top of that, you make sure The Elders take away my husband. You've done everything in your power to humiliate this family," she stepped back, distancing herself from her actions, "You've got 30 minutes." She turned and slammed the door behind herself. I slipped to the floor as the full realisation of the situation hit me. For a few minutes I welcomed the soul-wrenching cries that bubbled from my throat. When they had died down, I reached over to my phone and rang the first person I could think of. They picked up on the first ring.

"Santana? I need a favour." My voice shook with emotion and the last of the tears flooded down my already drenched cheeks.

"Quinn? What's happened? Are you ok?"

I shook my head even though she couldn't see me. "I've been kicked out. Can I stay with you for a few days?" The words hit me harder than any physical blow ever had. My mother, the one I had feared wasn't my own less than an hour ago, the one I had unquestioning loved had abandoned me.

"Of course you can, Q. Do you need me to come and get you?" Her voice was tender but had an edge to it. Again I shook my head.

"I'll drive over in a bit. I need to pack," I hesitated a second before adding, "Thank you San. This means the world." She mumbled something then said goodbye, embarrassed at the attention. I felt a little relief that I had someone. I stood and grabbed a suitcase from the closet. Guilt flooded me as I realised that I hadn't told Rachel. She should have been the first person I called. Though how I would explain to her exactly why I no longer had a home was something I could figure out. I made the decision to call her once I was at Santanas.

I stuffed as much as I could into my case, taking practical clothes then sorting through what I might need and leaving behind the frivolous things. In a separate, smaller bag I packed my laptop, some books, my toiletries and my schoolwork. I looked around my room once more and, satisfied that I had everything I needed, I made my way down the stairs to the front door. I slipped my still damp trainers on and shivered at the cold encompassing my feet. I carried my bags to my car, grateful that the rain had eased off to a weak drizzle now and returned to the house to make sure there really was nothing else I had forgotten.

I picked up a couple of jackets and turned to find my mother leaning against the back of the couch, her hand held out expectantly. I raised an inquisitive eyebrow at her. "Your key," were her only words. I swallowed the sob that threatened to break from my mouth and unhooked my door key from the clip and placed it in her hand. She folded her fingers around it and crossed her arms over her chest, not backing down an inch. I nodded once at her then turned on me heel and walked out the door, pulling it closed behind me.

I blinked back the tears as I drove, a headache forming at the emotions running through me. I found Santana waiting for me on the porch, concern in her eyes and anger in her heart. She said nothing as I got out the car she just held her arms open, pulling me into her embrace and rubbing my back soothingly. I allowed the tears to fall, letting out a sob every now and then until there was no more water there. She pulled back and ran her thumbs over my cheeks, wiping away the dampness there, flashing me a tight smile before moving to the car to get my bags. She lifted them easily into the house and I followed her to the spare bedroom. Once there she demanded to know what had happened so I explained everything, from The Elders and my parentage to my mother's actions.

"So, your father is not just AN Elder but THE Elder?" I nodded. "Wow. That explains why you're so up your own ass." She smirked at me and I understood her motive. I chuckled and nodded again.

"That'll do it. I have to call Rachel and tell her, she'll be mad at me if I don't." She hummed her acknowledgement and left me sat on the bed. I took a deep breath and dialled Rachel's number.

"Hi Quinn." She sounded happy to hear from me.

"Hey Rach. I…" I faltered, unsure of how to word my news, "I have something to tell you." I could sense her mood shift at my words.

"Is everything ok?" Her voice now held worry.

"Not exactly. My mother has… She has kicked me out. I'm staying at Santana's." She gasped and I heard a hollow clunk. "Rach?"

After a second of scrabbling I heard her, "Sorry I dropped the phone. She kicked you out? Why? What motive could she possibly have to throw her own daughter out on the streets?"

I blew out a breath slowly, knowing this wasn't going to go down well. "Because her daughter has a girlfriend and her husband has gone." I didn't want to give too many details about Russell leaving, if pushed I could think up a human excuse.

"Because of me?" She squeaked out.

"No, no of course not. It's because of me sweetheart. Don't you dare blame yourself. She just couldn't handle the truth about me." I soothed, wishing she was here. It was easier to ease her mind face to face with gentle touches and comforting expressions.

"But if we weren't together then this wouldn't…" She tried.

"It would've happened sooner or later. I couldn't keep up the lie for long." I interrupted her. "I promise you, this isn't your fault." I heard her sniffle then mumble her defeat. A door downstairs shut and I heard Santana's mother call out to her. "I have to go sweetie, I need to talk to San's mom. I'll see you tomorrow."

"Ok. I'm here if you need me. We'll talk tomorrow." We both rang off and I made my way down to the kitchen, hoping Santana had at least started talking to her mother about me staying. I found them talking quietly, seated at the table. They both looked up when I took a deep breath.

"Quinn, my poor dear." Maribel Lopez was small women with long brown hair and kind coffee coloured eyes. As I entered the room she stood up and rushed over to me, enveloping me in her arms and holding me tight. I choked back my tears and reciprocated the gesture. My eyes found Santana's and I was grateful for the compassion there.

"It's ok, I'll live," I joked, not wanting to break down again. "Is it ok if I stay here for a few days, just until I can find something more permanent?" I stepped back from Maribel, crossing my arms self-consciously over my chest.

"Ay dios. Mi querido, you can stay as long as you want to. You know this is your home." I felt my face flush in embarrassment, and nodded softly. She felt my slight discomfort at the attention and moved back, clapping her hands. "I bet you are hungry, huh? I'll start dinner." With that she turned and started preparing the food. Santana stood and took my hand, pulling me into the lounge.

"So, tell me about you and Berry. And I promise not to judge… or be mean." I smirked at her and settled on the couch.

"What do you want to know? And no, I'm not giving you intimate details!" She frowned for a second before a flirty grin lit up her face.

"That's implying there are intimate details to give! Spill, you've popped Berry's Cherry haven't you?" She was practically bouncing with enthusiasm on the sofa. I rolled my eyes, slightly disgusted with the way she worded that.

"No I haven't. Not that it would be any business of yours if I did. What ELSE do you want to know?" She chuckled and crossed her legs. I could see her thinking of something that wouldn't be crude so that I might actually answer it.

"Do you love her?" She asked with complete sincerity. I couldn't help the smile that formed at the thought of Rachel.

"I really do." She nodded her understanding, and I really believed that she did understand. "Who'd have thought it? Two badass Schian's both falling for humans?" I smirked.

"I know right!" She echoed my grin. "Though, you're not so badass!" I grabbed a cushion from behind me and flung it at Santana.

"I am way more badass than you! Might I remind you that my father is THE Elder!" I danced out the way as she threw the cushion back at me. I giggled as she lunged forward to tackle me, and tried to sidestep. Her arm wrapped around my leg and put me off balance so a spun into the challenge, landing on top of her with a thud.

"You are never going to stop going on about that now, are you?" She grunted out under the impact. A snort of laughter burst from my nose and I shook my head at her.

"Never!" I declared. I quickly pinned her arms down with my legs and reached back to job a finger in her side. She started laughing and kicking, trying to dislodge me from my perch on top of her. We traded positions several times, tickling each other mercilessly until we were interrupted by Maribel announcing dinner was ready.

"You may have grown taller, but you two still haven't grown up! What am I going to do with the both of you?" She asked the ceiling in mock despair. Santana grinned and gave her a peck on the cheek while I settled for a warm smile as we sat down and tucked into the delicious food. For the first time in a long while I felt relaxed in a place I could call home.


	10. Chapter 9

**Mythic-lionheart – Thank you. I like twists. Not all stories should flow nicely and without hiccups. I hope to include a few more before I'm through.**

**Lilmeister – You're too kind. Yeah, I thought about writing a vamp or wolf fic, but I've already written a wolf one (Not on this site) and I didn't think I'd have enough in me to write another one. Thank you, I'm trying to keep them as true to character as possible, but … well, they aren't really the same characters as in the show.**

**Um, I guess a little filler chapter. I promise the next one will be good. And possibly long. :)**

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Rumour had spread at school so everyone knew I was no longer living at the Fabray house. I slipped into HBIC mode with practiced ease and silenced the whispers with a mere glance as I stalked the halls of McKinley High. The mask only slipped once I had found the molten chocolate eyes of one Rachel Berry. As I passed her she stared at me with a smouldering gaze that could melt the ice caps, and my heart. Which I'm sure was directly responsible for the slick puddle that had formed in my panties by lunchtime. Each time I saw her, she fixed me with that look and it took all my willpower to carry on walking and not pounce on her in the corridor.

I was sat eating lunch with Santana and Brittany when I felt Rachel slide up the bench next to me. I swallowed my mouthful of food hard as I felt her bare thigh rub against mine. I felt her lips against my ear. "Hello lover." Her hot breath tickled the fine hairs on my neck and I shivered involuntarily.

"Are you trying to drive me crazy?" I queried with a raised eyebrow. She flashed me a killer smile, baring all of her perfect teeth.

"Is it working?" Her voice was almost innocent, but her wide-eyed expression was far from it. I smirked at her.

"Nope. Not even a little bit." I was impressed my voice was under control and sounded pretty believable. Apparently Rachel disagreed. She trailed a finger along my thigh down to my knee before circling to the inside of my thigh and lightly scratching her nail back up. I held my breath and tried to distract my mind from the feeling. _'Think of something, anything, else. Oh, I got it. Puck naked. Yeah, that's gross enough'_

"So if I were to feel, I would find your panties completely dry?" I whipped my head around to meet her eyes, laughter making them sparkle. Her finger stopped its progression. "I'm sorry. I'm only playing around. I will endeavour to be good now. Although, I make no promises." I rolled my eyes and gently smacked her hand before intertwining our fingers.

"I swear you will be the death of me." I laughed at her satisfied smirk and resumed eating my lunch. I glanced up to find Brittany grinning like a Cheshire cat at me. "What's up Britt?"

"You two are so cute!" She pulled on Santana's arm a little. "Aren't they Sannie? Almost as cute as us." I chuckled when Santana scowled, her cheeks turning pink. She opened her mouth to say something back but rethought her comment at Brittany's excited look.

"Sure they are Britt-Britt." She ground out. I glanced at Rachel and she looked a little taken back at the lack of sarcasm directed at her. I squeezed her hand slightly and she looked away, picking up a piece of lettuce from my salad and nibbling on it.

We got through the remainder of lunch chatting about everything and nothing to pass the time. As we left the cafeteria, Rachel pulled me to one side so we could talk in private. We found our way into the girls' toilets and she pulled me into a passionate kiss. I let out a moan when her tongue found mine and we battled for dominance before I gave in a let her win. When breathing became a genuine issue we broke the kiss. I pressed my forehead against hers and sucked in air greedily. "That's not talking Rach." She lifted her hand to swat my arm in jest.

"I do want to talk to you. How are you after yesterday? I have wanted to ask you all morning but the opportunity hasn't presented itself so I had to be content with looking at you longingly. You have no idea how much I've wanted to kiss you today." I silenced her with a sweet slow graze of my lips.

"I've wanted that too. I'm okay. Santana's parents are brilliant; they've always treated me like a daughter anyway." She smiled at me as thought she was pleased at that. "So I'll stay there until I can find something else." Rachel lifted her hand to my hair, running her fingers through my ponytail.

"You know you would be more than welcome at my house." I stiffened slightly, and then immediately forced myself to relax, at the thought of Leroy Berry. I hadn't forgotten my reaction to him, though I had missed the opportunity to ask my father about it. I still wanted to know why I always reacted the way I did.

"I wouldn't want to intrude. And besides, they would never let us have anytime alone if I stayed there." She sighed her agreement then straightened and smiled at me.

"They are going away this weekend; Friday afternoon until Sunday afternoon. Daddy said something about a gift certificate for a spa-hotel. So I'm all alone in the house this weekend. Would you like to come over and keep me company?" I couldn't help the 'gulp' noise I produced when I swallowed. I found my head nodding up and down as I stared at her, still trying to process the information without images flashing across my mind of compromising situations and positions. My train of thought crashed off the tracks.

"Uh, I've got plans with San on Friday night." Her face dropped a little and I felt my heart break a tiny bit. "But, I we will definitely spend all of Saturday together." I lifted her chin with my finger. "All Saturday night together." She smirked at me and nodded. I leant down to kiss her again when the door opened to reveal a group of girls chattering. Thankfully they were too busy gossiping to notice us jump apart at the interruption and my spin to face the mirror. I glanced at Rachel in the mirror and saw she had backed into a cubicle and shut the door. I fluffed my hair and checked my make up before glaring at the girls staring at me.

"Problem?" I challenged, my voice icy and detached. They snuck quick glances at each other, fear etched on their faces. "Good. Now get out of my way." I took a step forward and they scattered out of my path. Once I was past them I smirked at their reactions and carried on walking. I stopped at my locker and pulled my phone out when I heard it beep.

**Rachel: That was close. I think you terrified them, they hardy said a word while they were in there. I can't wait until Saturday. Two days is far too long! X**

I quickly typed out my reply.

**I wasn't happy they interrupted. They deserve to be terrified. I can't wait either. See you in Glee x**

I slipped my phone away and took out my books for the afternoons lessons.

Glee was uneventful, except for Rachel constantly playing the hem of her skirt, causing it to keep rising higher and revealing more of her smooth thighs and distracting me to the point of abandon. I spent the next two days planning Saturday, determined that it was going to be memorable. Friday night rolled around and Santana and I went out to Breadsticks. It was really a thank you meal, for being there for me through everything. Of course, Santana being Santana, I couldn't exactly tell her that. She would get embarrassed and go quiet, or start insulting me. I used what little money I had brought with me to pay for it and only when we were walking home did I tell her what it was for. As predicted her cheeks flushed and she mumbled that it was no big deal. I linked my arm through hers, not letting her off the hook that easily. She blushed harder and scowled at me, breaking out into an infectious smile a second later.

"Are you and Rachel together?" I jumped as Finn stepped from the shadows, hands in his pockets, a dark look on his face. Santana just rolled her eyes at him and tapped her foot impatiently.

"Why is that any of your business?" I snapped at him, in no mood to be dealing with him. He glanced behind me and I fought the instinct to turn and look myself. Instead I shot a look at the window of the store front next to us; feigning boredom, and was glad when I couldn't see anyone but the three of us.

"It is my business because she is girlfriend!" My head whipped back around and I raised a mocking eyebrow at him. I could smell the alcohol on his breath and see the effects in his eyes.

"Is your memory lacking Finn? Have you so easily forgotten the fact that Rachel broke up with you? Or are you just delusional now?" I saw the twitch of his hands closing into fists and mentally rolled my eyes.

"You don't know what you're talking about. She loves me." He took a step closer to me and Santana stepped sideways to intercept him. I laid a hand on her shoulder, motioning for her to leave it to me. She frowned but moved back. He sent her a satisfied smirk, which she returned with a twist of sarcasm. "You know that she will never love you. You're just a grade 'A' bitch. She'll see through you and when she does, she'll come running back to me."

I couldn't help the laughter that bubbled from my chest. "You really are delusional. It must be the lack of air up there that is affecting your brain." His nostrils flared and a muscle in his jaw ticked erratically. I saw his eyes change, his pupils expanding rapidly, and when on the defence. He swung his arm up, his fist aiming for my cheek. I crouched slightly, just enough for it to pass over my head and reached up to blocked the punch after it would have connected. As I gripped his arm I twisted and used his own momentum to pin his hand against his back and push him against the glass. He struggled against the hold for a few seconds then conceded defeat and relaxed.

"Look Finn, I don't want to fight you. It's pointless. You can't sway Rachel's mind any more than I can. She makes her own decisions." I took a couple of steps back, putting a comfortable amount of distance between us. He rested his forehead on the window before turning and nodding gently. Then he raised his eyes to meet mine, a cold glare directed at me.

"Doesn't mean I have to like it. The two of you; it's unnatural. It's just wrong." His voice was emotionless and flat. I turned from him and held out my hand to Santana who was stood shooting daggers at the large boy. I felt the air shift and he was gone, lumbering away from us.

"Idiotic Man-Child." I heard San mumble and smirked, squeezing her hand a little tighter as we continued on our way home. When we got in, Santana sat in the lounge with her mother and started watching the TV. I excused myself and went upstairs to call Rachel. She answered on the second ring.

"Quinn?"

"You know most people and with hello or hey. It might not have been me," I couldn't help teasing her.

"But it was," came her reply, as if there really wasn't any other option. I laughed. "And I'm glad, I've missed you." I could see her in my mind's eye, biting her bottom lip in the way that she knows drives me crazy.

"I missed you too."

"How was your meal with Santana?" I heard the gentle squeak of the couch and guessed she'd just sat down in the living room.

"Fun. Though she didn't hit me when I told her why I was taking her out which is nice." I heard her chuckle quietly. I took a breath. "We saw Finn."

"What?!" she exclaimed too loud. "Are you ok? Did he do anything? What did he say? If he hurt you I will kill him!" I was expecting the barrage of questions, but not the protective threat. I inwardly smiled.

"Calm down sweetie. Everything is ok. He was just asking if we were together. I told it was none of his business." I wondered how much of what he said I should tell her. "He still thinks you are together, or will be together."

"That's ridiculous. I broke up with him!" She sounded a little angry.

"I know, that's what I told him…" I trailed off, unsure of what to say next.

"What else happened Quinn? I know there is something you aren't telling me." I sighed heavily.

"He tried to hit me." I winced at the shrill '_WHAT_' that broke from the phone. "Tried Rach, tried. He didn't touch me. I think he was drunk. I'm fine, we're fine, and it's all fine." I smoothed out my voice, attempting to be as calm as possible. Rachel's breathing echoed down the line before she huffed loudly.

"It's not ok." I chuckled at the slight whine of her voice and knew I was winning.

"It is. Look, forget about tonight. Just think about tomorrow." It was shameless distraction but I knew it would work.

"What's happening tomorrow?" She teased. I smirked as I lay down on the bed, my head hitting the soft pillow.

"Oh wait, sorry I thought I was talking to my super-hot girlfriend. I must be mistaken. Who are you again?"

"Hey Fabray! Don't push it. Seriously, what are we doing tomorrow?" I chuckled at her impatience.

"You'll have to wait and see. I'll be there to pick you up at 11.30."

"Where are you taking me? What should I wear?" I could hear the pout in her voice and smiled.

"It's a surprise. And dress casual, but don't wear a skirt." She huffed again, this time playfully.

"Fine. But it better be good!" I let out a snort of laughter through my nose.

"Don't be such a brat." I heard her giggle and then stifle a yawn. "You should sleep sweetheart. I'll see you tomorrow." She hummed in agreement.

"Not if I see you first. Goodnight my love." I grinned as my heart skipped a beat.

"Sweet dreams dear."


	11. Chapter 10

**Mythic-Lionheart – Thanks lol. I know, does it show that I really don't like Finn? :p**

**Blue-Portrait – I hope this chapter has enough Faberry moments for you ;) And I promise you will find out about Leroy Berry soon. :)**

**Soooo, a little bit longer than my normal chapters, but it didn't feel right to split it into two. And you might have shouted at me if I stopped just before I got good. Lol! Like I said, You'll find out about Leroy soon. Very soon. For now, Enjoy! (This is where the M comes in, just to warn you)**

**Disclaimer: Not mine. Not for lack of wishful thinking though. :/**

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I adjusted my collar for the fiftieth time and gathered the courage to knock on the door I was stood in front of. There was something different about today; a tangible quality that had my stomach flipping nervously and my palms sweating slightly. '_Come on Quinn, get it together. It's just a date_'

I sighed and knocked quickly, before my bravery deserted me and I fled. Rachel had the door open in an instant and she looked beautiful in dark skinny jeans, a long sleeved red t-shirt and soft brown boots. I stepped forward and placed a kiss to her smiling lips before she could react. Her grin grew and she tugged me into a tight hug. I started laughing at her enthusiasm and pulled away slightly, moving my hand in between us. Her eyes widened at the sight of the flawless rose between my fingers. The deep jade stem had two small leaves near the top, leading the way to the vivid yellow petals, the colour marred only by the deep scarlet along the tips. I'd spent the last two days searching for the most perfect flower I could find, and when I found out the meaning behind the colour, I knew I had to have it.

"It's perfect Quinn. What does the colour mean?" I moved it towards her and she took it cautiously as if scared to break it. I smiled shyly when she raised it to her nose, taking in its subtle fragrance. I took a breath, my nerves rushing back to me all at once. I knew this was a big gift, with a lot of worth to it.

"It signifies falling in love." I looked down, scared of seeing her reaction. '_Maybe this was too fast_'. My mind was put at ease when I felt her fingers lift my chin gently and her lips met mine in a sweet but strong kiss.

"This is perfect," she repeated when we broke apart. I couldn't help the dopey grin that stretched my lips.

"Your chariot awaits," I announced, gesturing to the red sporty car behind me. Santana had agreed to loan it to me for the day so could carry out my plan. Confusion clouded Rachel's face for a second before it cleared and her smile returned. She nodded and swept into the kitchen, collecting a small vase from the cupboard and quickly filling it with water. When she returned she reached around the door to grab her coat, shrugging it on as she stepped out of the house. I led her to the car, opening the door for her as we reached it and closing it behind her. As I drove she hummed along to the music quietly, shooting me glances every couple of seconds.

"So," she started, elongating the 'O' before puffing out her cheeks, "Where are we going?" I smirked, knowing she wouldn't be able to wait long.

"It's a surprise. You do know what that means, right?" I flashed her a cheeky grin and focused my attention back on the road.

"I do," she huffed. "But I want to know now," she whined. I chuckled and shook my head, pressing my lips together. She slumped in the seat and began drumming her fingers on her thigh. I glanced over when the tapping stopped and was met with a mischievous smirk.

"What?" I queried. Instead of answering she reached over and placed a hand on my knee, her index finger tracing a small circle before it moved a little higher. My knuckles turned white as my grip tightened on the steering wheel while her finger trailed higher on my thigh. When she dipped into the apex of my thighs, I slapped her hand away with a smirk and raised eyebrow. Rachel pouted and crossed her arms over her chest. For the rest of the drive she alternated between sulking and pleading with me for the destination. I found her impatience utterly adorable and her pout even more so. I pulled into a car park a few miles outside of Lima and turned the engine off. I jumped out the car without waiting for Rachel to catch up and headed towards the white and grey building at the end of the lot. When I heard the door shut I clicked the lock and waited for Rachel.

I opened the door for her and followed her into the building. At the desk I asked for two tickets and paid and we were directed to the locker room to collect our equipment. Throughout the exchange Rachel looked mystified. She pulled me to the side and demanded to know what was happening. I giggled at her frustration and pulled her in for a gentle kiss. I tugged her by the hand into the locker room and as soon as she saw the counter against the far wall her eyes lit up.

"Ice skating?" I nodded with a grin. She had mentioned a few weeks ago that when she was a child her fathers took her to an ice rink every couple of weeks, but she hadn't been for years. Then I found out about this place and just knew I had to bring her here. I had never skated before; not in a rink at least. During the winter in my world, the lakes would freeze over and we would slip and slide across them all day. I was jerked from my thoughts when Rachel wrapped her arms around me, squeezing me tight.

"You like it then?" I mumbled; my lips pressed to her neck.

"Oh yes," she whispered into my shoulder. The boy at the counter cleared his throat; impatient to get back to the comic lying beside him. We gave him our shoe sizes and he came back a minute later with our boots. We sat on the benches and laced up, depositing our things in a locker in the process. When we reached the rink, Rachel slid out onto the ice with practiced ease. I hung back, unsure of the thin blades on the boots; used to the flat of my feet. I gripped the barrier and took hesitant steps until I found the right rhythm of push-glide. After a few minutes I realised it wasn't so different to my winters back home; the only difference being the jagged pick at the front of the blade.

There was only one other person on the ice; a young girl of about 11. She was deep in concentration as she raced around in her coned off area; breaking out leaps and jumps every few circuits. She never looked around or lost her focus, so I knew we were essentially alone here. Rachel and I raced around the rink, playing different games of chase and then dancing to the slick R'n'B beats pouring from the speakers. After two hours, we made our way to the benches around the rink, breathing heavily from the games. I smiled at Rachel's rosy cheeks and red nose as I caught my breath. A rumble from my stomach caught my attention.

"Are you ready to move on to the next part of today?" I asked.

"There's more?" She responded. I chuckled and nodded yes. We removed the boots and retrieved our stuff, before making our way back to the car. Rachel turned the music up a little louder and started singing along, acting out the words as well. I joined in for harmonies and duets. Within half an hour we had reached our next destination. I pulled up behind a stand of trees and got out, making my way round to the boot and pulling out a duffle bag and cool box. I led Rachel through the trees and out into a clearing overlooking the ripping blue water of a lake. Rachel gasped beside me and gripped my hand tighter. "It's beautiful"

"Not as beautiful as you," I couldn't resist the cheesy line and grimaced as it slipped out. I dropped the bag carefully and unzipped it before pulling out a large red blanket. I spread it out evenly and pulled Rachel down on it. She watched as I opened the cool box and began arranging food on the blanket. When I'd finished I went back to the bag, taking out plastic knives and forks, paper plates and plastic glasses. I surveyed the food with a little pride, glad it'd thought to put ice blocks in the box.

"You did all this?" Rachel gazed up at me, astonishment on her face. I nodded and hummed my confirmation. I pointed out each tub of food, identifying the items in them so she could choose what she wanted. We sat for a few hours just picking at the food, drink and talking. I began packing everything up just before sunset and then sat back down, pulling Rachel into my arms to watch the sky turn to fire as the sun dipped below the horizon. When Rachel started shivering I lifted her into my arms, bridal style, and carried her back to the car. I smiled as she hummed a soft tune against my collarbone. As I placed her in the seat she pulled me into a tender kiss. "Today has been perfect," she whispered against my lips. My heart beat faster at her admission and I ran my thumb over her cheek.

"All for you, dear." I let her go with one last peck and climbed into my side of car. She held my hand most of the way home, her thumb rubbing gently over my knuckles. When we reached Rachel's house, she led me up the path and in the front door. She looked up at my shyly through her lashes.

"You want to watch a movie?" Smiling, I nodded my consent and we moved into the lounge. I waited on the couch as Rachel inserted a DVD into the player and pressed play. I smiled when I realised she'd put on a Rom Com instead of the musical I'd expected her to. She settled on the sofa against my side and I enveloped her in my arms to watch the film. She kept seizing my attention when she would run her fingers lightly over my abs or hip and by the end of the film I found myself so turned on I could barely control my own hands. She solved my problem by taking both my hands in hers and tugging me from the sofa and up the stairs.

As we stepped into her bedroom she pushed me back into the door, closing it in the process, and crashed her lips into mine in a kiss that was heated and full of passion. When she pulled away she stared at me with eyes full of desire and longing. I felt a rush of arousal head between my legs and I reached out and gripped Rachel's hips, pulling her towards me to connect our lips again. My tongue begged entry to her mouth and she obliged almost immediately. A moan escaped me when our tongues met, dancing and duelling in sync. I whimpered softly when she stepped back, but instantly became mesmerised as I watched her undo the buttons on her jeans and pull the zipper down slowly.

She looked at my shirt pointedly and I took the hint and began unbuttoning it deliberately unhurriedly. When I had reached the bottom, Rachel lifted her hand and ran a finger across my chest, tracing the outline of my bra over my breasts. I shivered under the touch and took her hand, pressing my lips to her palm. I motioned to her t-shirt. "Off," I whispered. She smiled nervously but reached for the hem and lifted it over her head, depositing it on the floor. I shrugged off my own shirt and did the same. She stepped forward and drew me into another kiss, her tongue exploring my mouth thoroughly. I reached behind her and unhooked the clasp on her bra. She pulled it from her arms, her lips never leaving mine and copied the gesture, my bra slipping to the floor along with the rest of the clothes.

Her hands found my belt buckle and made short work of undoing it, moving quickly onto the button of my jeans. She pushed them over my hips and did the same to her own. I stepped out of the pile of material and waited for her to do the same. She turned us around and pushed me back onto the bed. She hooked her fingers around the material of my panties and began pulling them down my legs. She dropped them on the floor and stood still for a moment, taking in the sight of me lying naked on her bed. I began getting uncomfortable under her scrutiny and looked away. Sensing my unease, she bent to remove her own panties.

Rachel climbed into the bed and lingered over me, knees either side of my hips. I just lay there for a moment, taking in every single detail of the body hovering above me. Every curve and dip, every dimple and freckle. I brushed my fingertips over the soft skin of her ribs and smiled as she squirmed slightly. "Tickles," she breathed; her voice a hoarse whisper. I was mindful that I was staring, but I just couldn't pull my eyes from her smooth tan body.

"You are exquisite," I told her as loud as I dared, awed by her beauty. She allowed a shy smile as her cheeks coloured from the compliment. I moved my thumb in tight circles under her breast while my other hand traced the swell of her hip and down her thigh. A quiet sigh slipped through her lips and she tipped her head back, brown waves cascading down her back. I sat up, holding her firmly in place and laced her chest with slow, languid open-mouthed kisses. Her fingertips gripped my shoulder blades as her breathing became erratic and she rested her chin on the top of my head.

I flicked my tongue over her collarbone, tasting her sweet and tangy skin, revelling in the heady scent that only she could produce. My hands mapped out either side of her spine, dipping down to pull her closer to me by her ass. I lowered my mouth to ghost over her breasts, first one then into the valley between then the other. She dug her nails into my back as I took a nipple into my mouth, sucking it gently against my teeth as I felt it harden under my ministrations. My level of arousal rocketed at the guttural moan that vibrated through her chest and I sped up the flicking of my tongue. I smirked lightly, as I moved to her other nipple, at the unsatisfied whimper the slipped from her lips, and delighting in the groan that followed the careful bite to the silky skin of her breast.

I trailed my fingers over her flat abs; the muscles twitching against the pressure, to the soft mound of tidy curls. Rachel drew in a sharp breath and I halted my progress. She bucked her hips in frustration and I felt her hot, sticky arousal coat my lower abdomen. I groaned loudly at the feeling and braced against the bed, flipping the two of us so she was lying on her back with me in between her legs. She let out a yelp of surprise then a purr of approval at the change. I moved my hand back on its original path and she hummed her support of my plan. I smiled as I lightly sunk my teeth into her ribs, immediately easing the mark with my tongue.

We gasped at the same time as my fingers found her dripping core; hers followed by a long moan when I delved through her slick folds. I seemed unable to catch my breath properly and I could think of nothing else except how she would taste. Decisively, I brought my hand to my lips, my mouth watering at the intoxicating scent. Rachel watched me through heavy-lidded eyes as I sucked my fingers, one by one, into my mouth, savouring the mind-blowing flavour. It was sweet and juicy and it only made me want more.

"Fuck." I snapped my eyes to Rachel's as I heard her utter the curse and swallowed hard at the look of pure sex on her face. She pulled me up and crashed her lips to mine, grunting as she tasted herself on my tongue. I pushed her back down and my mouth followed the same route as my fingers until I was level with the glistening pussy. I bit my lip in anticipation and glanced up to see Rachel mirroring the action. With a sly smirk I extended my tongue and drew it through the moisture collected at the apex of her thighs. She bucked her hips against my face, desperate for more friction and for now I obliged, locking my lips around the small bundle of nerves and sucking. Rachel uttered a string of unintelligible words and tangled her fingers through my hair, holding my head in place. Not that I had any intention of moving.

I wrapped one arm around her thigh, my hand resting on her smooth stomach, and began flicking my tongue over the hard bud. I huffed gently when she bucked her hips, grinding into my face, making me lose my rhythm. Instead of continuing, I shifted down to tease her entrance, dipping into her hole before moving back up to her clit. The moans coming from her mouth were becoming obscene but they only served to further heighten my arousal.

"Please Quinn!" She begged with a hint of desperation in her voice. I knew this wasn't the time to tease; there would be plenty of opportunity for that later, but I couldn't help prolonging this moment a little longer.

"Please what, my dear?" I teased, placing delicate kisses to the insides of her thighs.

"I want…" she faltered and I glanced at her. Her eyes looked black and she had a glossy sheen to her skin. "I want you inside me." The breath rushed out of my lungs at the request and I nodded dumbly. I raised myself up and quickly kissed up her body, reaching her lips and taking her bottom lip between my teeth. My index finger was poised at her entrance, rubbing small circles and waiting for her approval.

"You sure?" I whispered. She nodded swiftly and I slowly pushed against the natural barrier, stopping when I felt it give way. Rachel tensed at the sudden intrusion and scrunched her face against the pain. I trailed soft kisses over her cheeks, forehead and chin while she got used to the feeling. She let out a shaky breath. "Okay. Slowly."

I drew her lips into a full and passionate kiss, putting every ounce of emotion I could into it, and pushed fully into her. I waited for her to relax and began pumping slowly in and out of her. After a minute or so Rachel matched my rhythm and began letting out soft moans of pleasure. I took this as a sign that the pain had passed and slowly pressed in a second finger. Her back arched and her mouth hung open slightly, face frozen in desire. I could feel my fingers stretching her; her walls clenching around me.

"Harder." I smirked at her demand and speed up my ministrations, opening my palm so it collided with her clit with each thrust. I rested my head on the pillow next to hers and latched my mouth onto her shoulder. Her keening cries were increasing in volume and her nails were digging into the skin of my back and buttocks as she pulled me closer to her. When I felt her tightening around my fingers I lifted my head to look at her face, beautifully contorted in the midst of her high. With one final cry, her body tensed and she began shuddering. I slowed the rhythm of my thrusts, allowing her to ride her orgasm out.

While she tried to catch her breath, I brought my fingers to my lips and again sucked them clean. Before I'd finished she cracked one eye open and moaned tenderly at the sight. I smirked and placed a chaste kiss over her lips before dropping onto the bed beside her, pulling her against me in the same motion.

"That was, wow." She said dreamily into the crook of my neck. I chuckled against the shell of her ear.

"Is that so?" She pulled back to look at me, chocolate eyes suddenly earnest.

"Yes. Absolutely." She crashed her lips into mine as if trying to convey her every emotion. I wrapped my arms around her and slid my tongue into her mouth, searching for hers. She twisted and pushed me onto my back, rolling to lie on top of me, one leg between mine. She drew her leg up and her thigh pressed into my core. I ripped my mouth from hers to let out a moan and bucked my hips to try to get more friction. With her mouth free, Rachel lowered it to my breast, taking one of my already hard nipples between her teeth. She quickly flicked her tongue over the hard nub and used her fingers to tweak and roll the other one. I arched my back, pushing my chest into her, a silent request to keep going.

I could feel my juices already coating her thigh, smearing on the smooth skin and making it easier for her to slide against me. I could feel the tightening in the pit of my stomach, signalling my orgasm wasn't far off and I pulled at Rachel, urging her to speed up. My breath was coming out in short, shallow gasps; alternating between panting, moaning and saying her name. She shifted and placed her lips against my ear. "You are so beautiful." At those words I felt myself tip over the edge and wave after wave of bliss crashed over me.

I caught my breath and pulled her hard against me, burying my face in her hair. "I love you." It came out as a whisper. I mentally cursed as she stiffened and moved her head back.

"You do?" I could see uncertainty on her face and my heart broke a little at the insecurity there.

"Completely." I emphasised the word with a peck on the tip of her nose. She flashed me a brilliant smile and peppered my face and neck with speedy kisses.

"I love you too. I think I always have." I reached down and pulled the covers over us, not wanting her catch a cold and settled against her. I stifled a yawn and giggled as Rachel did the same.

"Sleep sweetheart." She snuggled deeper into my embrace and let out a content sigh. I stared at the ceiling for a few moments before I let sleep claim me.


	12. Chapter 11

**Agarza1538 - :) I struggled with the date a little bit, my partner and I never really dated so I don't have too much experience of date etiquette, so thank you :) Ask and you shall receive. :p**

**Blue-Portrait – Thank you. That's what I was aiming for. Lol, well there has to be a little angst in a story.**

**ShadowCub – Judy is still her mother, regardless of her faults. She never beat her herself. I would mourn the loss of my family and life I'd lived for a great deal of time. Perhaps I'm just strange then :/**

**Sorry for the angst ridden nature of this chapter, but it's necessary. Answers were needed. Hope you like it.**

**Disclaimer: I own none of the characters, blah blah blah**

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I woke to the scent of coconut as my face pressed into the curtain of silky brown hair covering the pillow. I smiled lazily and pulled some strands from her shoulder. I followed the path with gentle kisses over her sweet skin. She mumbled something incoherent and pressed back into me. "Morning beautiful," I said quietly. She sighed and turned over, a stunning smile gracing her face.

"Good morning." I leant forward to connect our lips and received a grimace from Rachel. "Morning breath!" She exclaimed, covering her mouth with her hand. I chuckled and moved her hand to the side, pinning it against the pillow and pressed my lips to hers in a comically exaggerated closed-mouth kiss. She started laughing pushed me off with a shove and leaped from the bed. I watched in amusement as she skipped across the floor to the bathroom and the sounds of running water and brushing filled my ears. When she popped her head around the door frame I scooted from the bed and slipped past her. I let out a sharp crack of laughter when I saw a toothbrush still in the packing propped against the mirror.

"Thank you," I turned and slid my arms around her waist, placing a line of quick kisses over her shoulder. She chuckled and squirmed away, turning to shoot me a pointed look. I sighed with grin and turned back to the sink. After I'd opened the packaging and brushed my teeth thoroughly, my stomach interjected with a rumble. I walked back into the bedroom to find Rachel sat on the bed fully clothed, swiping a thumb across the screen of her phone. I picked up my clothes and put them on loosely. Rachel looked up at me.

"What do you want for breakfast?"

'_You_' I tried to contain my smirk, but I must have shown.

"What food do you want for breakfast? Rude!" I chuckled and shrugged. She sighed and took my hand, leading me from the bedroom and down the stairs to the kitchen. She pushed me into a seat and began rummaging through the fridge.

"Toast is fine, Rach." She turned and looked at me dubiously.

"Really?"

"Yeah," I said with a smile.

"But everything you did for me yesterday, with the cute gestures and the delicious thought-out food and the chivalry. The least I could do is to provide you with a wholesome and filling breakfast." She broke out her sad pout and I couldn't help but move closer and kiss it away.

"Toast will be fine. You owe me nothing, love. I did it because I wanted to, not for reciprocation." I stated. She frowned for a second then relented and moved across the kitchen to make the toast. After we'd eaten, we moved into the lounge and relaxed into the couch with another movie. This time Rachel kept her hands mostly to herself and I took in a lot more of this movie than I had the one the previous night. However, towards the end of the film I felt her gaze burning into my temple. I turned my head to meet her eyes and saw that her pupils were extremely dilated.

"Are you ok Rach?" I asked gently. She licked her lips and nodded slowly, her eyes flicking down to my mouth then back up again. "You sure?" I queried with a hint of teasing slipping into my voice.

"I keep thinking." She supplied unhelpfully.

"About?" I probed.

She took a breath and starting worrying her bottom lip between her teeth, a look of contemplation shifting over her features. "Well, last night," she began. I smiled inwardly, before worry set in. Perhaps I had done something wrong. "It was incredible. And I can't stop thinking about the feeling of you being inside me." I let out a quiet sigh of relief that she wasn't regretting what happened, then felt my nerve endings tingle at the memory of being buried knuckle deep in her wet warmth and hearing her moaning at each movement. "But what really got me thinking is, what did it feel like for you? And now I can't stop obsessing over how it would feel to be inside you." I gulped at the thought and tried to hide the effects her words were having on me. "Well, now, I just want that, and I don't think I will be able to concentrate on anything else until that happens."

"Uh…" was all I could manage in that instant. Her eyes twinkled impishly and I had to wonder if this was her plan all along; the shyness and coy looks were just for show. With new resolve I stood up, leaving her sat on the sofa and made my way to the stairs. She looked at me, bewildered. "Well, you'll never find out if you stay there, will you?" I didn't wait for her reply I turned and leaped up the steps two at a time and lunged into her bedroom. She raced in after me and leapt onto me making me fall on the bed.

It was nothing like the unhurried exploration of the previous night; this was all hunger and desire and passion. My clothes rapidly found their way to floor, along with Rachel's and soon she was pushing me to my limit as her mouth teased a nipple and her fingers scratched lines around my navel. My uttered pleas and breathy demands when unheard as she took her time in licking and biting every inch of skin she could find. Eventually, she was hovering in front of my core and I was on the edge of insanity and knew that if she didn't touch me soon I would dive head first over the cliff. She blew gently against my wetness; the cold sensation causing my hips to buck uncontrollably. Ever so slowly she reached out her tongue and dipped it into my folds. A loud moan tore from my throat; so animalistic and primal it didn't sound like me at all.

Her tongue was relentless in its attack on my clit and within no time I could feel that white-hot burning building. I thought back to Rachel's words about being inside me. "Rach, I'm gonna…"

"I know," she mumbled against my lips, the vibrations shooting through me deliciously. I didn't have time to think about forming the words to remind her of her wish, instead if felt every muscle tense and explode as I reached my climax. I was vaguely aware of Rachel kissing up my body, placing a kiss on each nipple, then meeting my lips. I groaned at the taste of myself as her tongue invaded my mouth. I pulled away slowly.

"But I thought you wanted to…" I trailed off, my brain unable to piece together the words needed to articulate my thoughts.

"I do. And I will," she smirked, "I just wanted you nice and relaxed and very, very wet first."

'_Oh God_'

Her hand disappeared southwards and I felt her fingertip brush over the sensitive bundle of nerves again before pressing against my opening. I bucked my hips, urging her to keep going and she pushed forward. I felt the sharp sting of the barrier breaking and she kept going until she was fully inside me. I held my breath against the discomfort and waited for it to pass. I opened my eyes to see concern on her face and I let out the air in my lungs. I raised my head to capture her lips, a sign she took to start moving. I gasped at the feeling of Rachel pulling her finger out a little way then pushing it back in all the way. The tenderness passed quickly and soon the overriding feeling of pleasure took hold of my body.

After a few more thrusts Rachel added another finger. My legs began to tremble in response to being stretched wider and I gripped the bed sheets until my knuckles turned white. She moved her lips down my neck and to my chest, nipping gently as she went until she took a nipple into her mouth. The pleasure overwhelmed me and I couldn't hold back my rapidly approaching second orgasm, all I could do was breath, "Don't stop." If anything, she began thrusting into me harder. With a loud moan I was sent tumbling into oblivion. When my muscles had stopped shuddering, I opened my eyes to stare into the twinkling orbs of the girl I loved.

"It was so much more than I expected," she proclaimed with a grin. I chuckled at her exuberance and pulled her down for a chaste kiss.

"More what?" I asked.

"More everything," she giggled, running her fingers up my sides. I squirmed under the ministrations, and bucked my hips, trying to depose Rachel from her position of straddling one of my thighs. As my leg met her core I realised exactly how wet she was. She gasped and stilled her movements and I saw my chance to switch our positions. I lifted my hips and rolled her on her back, my hands and knees supporting me as I got close enough for her to feel the warmth of my body but not my weight.

"My turn," I smirked at her. Rachel practically purred underneath me as my mouth found her nipple and my fingers began tracing circles over her skin. With one last suck to the pebbled surface I started forging a path down the smooth skin of her abdomen and across to the swell of her hip bone. With a gentle bite I moved on to her soft thighs, trailing my tongue in random patterns until I reached her glistening pink pussy. I run two fingers through her dripping centre, coating my fingers in her juices before pushing them fully into her.

Rachel moaned and pushed her hips into the bed, her hands fisting the pillow beneath her head. As I drove into her, I flicked my tongue over the now hard bundle of nerves, eliciting loud throaty moans from between the full lips above me. I kept the pace up until she trembled and begged for no more. With a playful grin I lapped up any remain wetness and crawled up her body to place a kiss on her flushed cheek before dropping to the bed beside her. I chuckled as she held a hand over her heart and sucked in great lungful's of air. After a minute or so she cracked open one eye and shot a glare my way.

"It's not funny!" She huffed.

"What's not funny?" I asked innocently.

"Whatever it is you're laughing at," she replied, waving a hand in the air as if the shed light on the source of my amusement. I snorted lightly and pulled her into me, running a thumb over her slightly clammy shoulder. She squirmed a little and protested. "I should shower. I'm all sweaty and gross."

"You look beautiful," I denied. For my compliment I earned a swat across the arm. Before I could retaliate she bounced up and dashed into the bathroom, shutting the door quickly. I huffed and rolled into my back, staring at the ceiling as the hiss of the shower started. After a few minutes Rachel's sweet, soulful voice drifted through the door and I couldn't stop the lopsided grin that stretched my lips. With a sigh I sat up and shifted off the bed, picking up my panties in the process. I pulled them on and went in search of the rest of my clothes. Just as I'd pulled on my jeans and finished buckling my belt, the bathroom door swung open and Rachel stepped out with a bath towel wrapped around her chest and a smaller towel twisted on her head.

She glanced at my clothes and frowned. "Why are you wearing that?" She queried.

"Because I have no other clothes to wear," I replied as if the answer was obvious. With a small scowl she turned on her heel and marched to her wardrobe, but my eyes had stopped following her actions. Instead I was fixated on the dark brown marking on the stretch of skin beneath her hairline, halfway between her ear and the base of her neck.

"What's that?" I asked; my voice small and cold. She spun around in panic, eyes darting about the room trying to identify what I was talking about.

"What?"

"That," I retorted pointing to her neck, an icy anger seeping into my veins. She raised a hand to her neck, tentatively feeling for something. Realisation dawned in her eyes.

"My birthmark?" She asked incredulously. I nodded, face impassive and apathetic but my insides were rolling causing a queasy feeling to spread through my stomach. I swallowed down the bile threatening to make an appearance and waited for an explanation. "It's just a mark. Are you ok Quinn? You don't look so good." She made a move towards me but I stepped backwards, my stare never leaving the distinctive stain on her skin. It was shaped like a sword; hilt at the bottom, blade pointing up into a cloud shape. It wasn't a mark I'd actually seen, but something I'd been shown in a book. It was the mark of a Hunter.

"Was this some kind of joke? To make me weak?" Even I was taken aback by the venom lacing my voice as I hissed the words out. With a jolt, pieces of the puzzle fell into place. The reaction I had to Leroy Berry. I looked into Rachel's eyes seemingly for the first time; nothing seemed familiar. It was like looking upon a stranger. "Was it his plan? You pretend to fall in love with me so he can claim my skin? All very clever I must say."

"Quinn? You're scaring me. What are you talking about?" Fear had etched itself across her face, and honestly it looked genuine but the frosty feeling settling in the pit of my stomach spurred me on to find the truth.

"So it's just a coincidence that you're a Hunter that just happens to have found a Schian? I find that extremely hard to believe." I tried not to raise my voice but my anger got the better of me and before I knew it I was yelling at her.

"What's a Hunter or a Sch-Schian?" She stuttered out, her voice rising in reaction to mine. Then a light seemed to go off in her head. "My dream?" I swallowed hard. Her eyes began boring into mine. "That was real?" I had forgotten about that for the moment. Then it hit me. I'd taken a Hunter to my world. The breath rushed out of my lungs and I found for a moment I couldn't pull anymore air in. In a rush I greedily sucked in oxygen and slumped against the desk behind me.

"Oh my God. OhMyGodOhMyGodOhMyGod."

"Quinn? Quinn, please look at me. Look, I don't understand what is happening but we can get through it. I love you." I snapped my head up at her words.

"Love?" A blast of bitter laughter burst from my chest and seemed to cut through Rachel like a sword. "You can go back to your **Father** and tell him he can go somewhere else to get his hide. He'll not be having mine."

"Or you could tell me yourself." I jumped at the deep rumble to my right. I took a step back and found myself stuck between the desk and a wall, my only escape route; a window behind me. Leroy Berry stood in the doorway, arms folded across his chest and a scowl twisting his face. My skin began prickling as his eyes found mine.

"Daddy? What is she talking about?" Rachel was clutching the towel around for dear life and pleading with her father for answers.

"She's talking about how she is a filthy creature that deserves to be skinned." Rachel's hand flew to her mouth, disgust plain on her face and in that instant I knew she had no idea about any of it. I laughed at his words.

"As opposed to the abhorrent half-bloods that taint the line? At least we are pure," I snarled back at him, baring my teeth and readying for a fight.

"Stop it!" Rachel shrieked. She turned to the man looming in the doorway. "Tell me what you're talking about. I want to know." Leroy nodded and leaned across to the frame.

"What you saw, where I took you, that was real," I interrupted, "My people are called Schian. We are of dragon blood." Rachel's gaze flicked around the room, absorbing that information. Finally her eyes landed back on her father.

"It is forbidden for Schian to mate with humans and produce offspring, but someone broke that rule and we were born. The Schian Elders found out decades later but by that time, our numbers were growing. They declared that we must be wiped out, but we began fighting back. Eventually we went into hiding and we grew stronger. We learnt to channel their talents and make them our own. When each generation comes of age, they are trained in our ways and taught how to kill the creatures."

Rachel was trembling at the speech and I leapt across her bed to catch her as her knees gave way. I helped to her to the bed and she sat down with a grateful half smile. "You really didn't know, did you?" I whispered; brushing a lock of hair from her face. She sighed and shook her head.

"You will leave. Now." Leroy had stepped into the room, anger plain on his face and I felt the crawling sensation return to my skin, forgotten in my rush to help Rachel. I gritted my teeth and refused the change, pushing the urges away.

"Are you ok Rach?" I asked, my eyes pleading with her for forgiveness. She raised her hand and ran her thumb over my eyebrow, down my cheek and across my bottom lip. Her eyes met mine and a tear slipped down my face at the sadness there.

"I love you." She whispered it so softly I almost didn't hear her. I closed my eyes and sent a silent thanks to the gods.

"I love you," I breathed before standing and turning towards the door.

"Leave, Schian." I took one last look at Rachel who nodded to me and I hoped it was in understanding that I wasn't leaving her; I just didn't want things to turn violent. I swept past Leroy and grimaced as the itching intensified the closer I got to him. Once I passed him, I rushed down the stairs and out to the car. On my way back to Santana's my mind was processing at a thousand miles a minute, trying to come up with a solution to this problem.


	13. Chapter 12

**EAnIL - I'm glad some people found it a shock, or interesting. I wasn't planning on writing anything from Rachel's POV. Maybe at the end of this part of the story, i will write an extended One-Shot of Rachel POV as well as the Prequel. **

**Blue Portrait- Why thank you -curtsy- :) **

**I have finally figured out where exactly this is going to end. A few more chapters i think, then on with the prequel or sequel? Suggestions welcome, feel free to PM me. **

**For now, enjoy.**

**Disclaimer: i own nothing, ever**

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I pulled up to Santana's house and hurried out of the car, through the front door. I was met with San flashing me a mischievous smile. "You dirty little stop-out! It went well I take it?" The grin fell when I turned to her, a panicked expression masking my face. Before she could ask what had happened, the air began shimmering around us and I felt that all too familiar tugging sensation. Dread filled my stomach as San cursed. "Oh hell no. I wants my gossip first." If I hadn't been so terrified I would've laughed at her expression.

I closed my eyes, my stomach still feeling queasy enough without the added nauseating transition from this world to my own. When I felt brave enough, I peeked from beneath my lids and found myself within the Elders chambers. I was thankful that I didn't have to wait in the desolate and isolated waiting room. I stepped in front of the three ancient Schian and bowed my head in respect.

I tried not to think too much; instead I let them take what they needed from me. I stood for what felt like an hour before Arthuur shifted and turned his gaze towards my father. My father frowned and shook his head and frustration bloomed in my chest at the silent conversation happening in front of me.

"Patience is a virtue, young Schian," Arthuur told me without taking his eyes from the centre Elder. I raised an eyebrow and cocked my hip, assuming my HBIC stance. The throaty chuckle from my father interrupted my sarcastic comeback.

"I admire your spirit my child, but biting at him will not resolve anything," Alggren said softly, his gaze sweeping my face slowly. "**There are ways and means around every problem, youngling. You shall not give up.**" I tried to smile, but it did not reach my eyes so I just nodded, guarding my thoughts.

The Elder to the left cleared her throat gently. "What do you propose, Alggren?"

"She must be killed," Arthuur cried. "Surely you of all people and see this Alysai. She could endanger us all!"

"NO!" I screamed. "You will not kill the woman I love!"

"Woman? She is merely a girl, and a necessary sacrifice for the greater good." I couldn't help the tears that began streaming down my face, but I pushed through and stood tall to my full height.

"Then you would condone the slaughter of an innocent child?" My voice rang around the chamber. Never had I sounded so authoritative and in control. I looked to my father, his opinion the only one the mattered to me. I watched his face stretch into a soft smile before he turned to Arthuur.

"The girl will live, for she still has time. She is not yet trained in their ways." He turned to face me. "Quinn if you can persuade her she will make a fearsome ally. She will not understand the dragon in her; you can help her wield it to her full potential." I stared at him incredulously.

"So it's true then. They are part dragon." I uttered. My father gestured to me to step forward and as I did all three Elders stepped from the platform and moved to the back of the room. I followed, unsure of what was happening. Alysai took my hand and led me through the wavering wall and I gasped when I reached the other side. All around me were vibrant colours and dancing lights filling the air. '_What is this place?_'

"This is our world of old," Alysai told me, her voice barely louder than a whisper, "It used to be as green and full of life as the humans' world is now. Long before you were born battles raged across the lands and in the last one, the ground was scorched and the buildings burnt. You've seen it for yourself. There are areas of the kingdom that still flourish somewhat but under the burden of the past they can't expand."

I found myself drifting along to her gentle crackled voice and was shaken from my reverie when we stopped in front of a long obsidian mirror; the surface was polished and gleaming and set into an arch of rock. "This is the Mirror of Stneicna. It was forged in the tallest mountain by the White Witch. It allows you to recall moments of our past. Warriors have studied battles in front of it and dreamers have relived our glory. You need to understand the freedoms and the limitations of your powers and of their powers as well." I watched Alysai's face in the mirror as she spoke, the ebony crust distorting her image slightly as she moved. When she fell silent I glanced at my father stood to my left and waited for his instruction.

"**Touch the glass, my child**," his voice rumbled gently around my head. I locked eyes with my reflection and saw trepidation staring back at me. With a sharp intake of breath I raised my hand and placed my index finger against the even enamel. Shock radiated through me as I realised that the mirror was hot to the touch, an underlying heat emanating from its core. As I wondered about the warmth, the surface rippled like a pond; the shallow rings spreading outwards from the point of my finger to the edges. When it was flat again I dropped my hand and looked deep into the reversed impression and suddenly I was immersed by images; my mind transported back to a memory.

All around me a battle raged. I watched as Schian and Bruzhyah fought side by side against what I assumed were Hunters. "**You are right, Quinn. The Hunters gathered an army and found a way to invade our world.**" I nodded that I'd heard him and carried on watching the battle. The Hunters didn't look quite human. Instead of smooth skin they had a luminescent tint covering tiny raised bumps under the surface and instead of fingernails they had claws, but their features stayed the same.

I looked on as a short African woman leapt onto a fallen log just in front of me, using the height advantage it bought her to kick a dull green Bruzhyah in the face. Her dark skin gleamed midnight blue as she turned toward the sun. With a scream of words in a foreign language, she jumped from her perch and landed a vicious kick to the ribs of her opponent. Within minutes she had the dragon incapacitated and was moving on to her next target. The familiar call of my kind echoed through the air; a loud, high-pitched roar that stirred your very soul into motion. As the woman moved swiftly through the crowds in search of a new foe, the flapping of wings caught my attention and a sparkling gold Schian swopped down, talons bared and grabbed her by the shoulders using his feet. Still in flight, he reached down with his hands and twisted her neck until it snapped. He dropped her, indifferent to where she landed and moved on.

I saw this action repeated many times while I was submerged in the vision. It seemed to be the best tactic to combat the half breeds. They were incredible fighters on the ground; even the most skilled warriors were having trouble holding them off. Eventually, I noticed the Hunters numbers were dwindling; most of the dragons had taken to the air and were mounting their attack with that advantage. With cries of frustration the Hunters retreated and returned to their own world through a gateway I hadn't noticed before.

"**They used a portal of some sort to enter and exit our world. We never could work out how they created it.**" At my father's words I found myself back in the lush green room. The sky had grown darker, the bright blue of day merging into the inky black of night, which made the iridescent twinkles floating the air seem all the more dazzling. A light floated closer to me and I held out my hand to it. I gasped as it settled into my palm and I realised it was a tiny firefly, but instead of just the tail end being lit up its entire body was glowing with the soft light. It crawled over my skin for a few seconds before fluttering its wings and taking off again.

"How is this even possible? That in this corner of our world there is this little paradise?" I didn't understand. If this place could be preserved and it could flourish, why couldn't it expand?

"The magic fire that was used to burn our world cannot be undone by us. Only by the White Witch," Alysai explained as I turned to her. "We have never been able to find her in the mountains to the west. So the land continues to smoulder and allows little to grow. Perhaps that is why this opportunity has presented itself to us." She hypothesised, chancing a look to my father. I had to stifle a giggle at the pure comedy of the look on a dragons face. Her coy smile grew at my amusement.

My father seemed to ponder the idea for a few moments before nodding. "She would not be expecting a half breed with a Schian; it might tug on her curiosity enough for her to show herself." It took a second for me to catch up with their musings.

"Wait, you think this is Fates' doing? That Rachel and I would fall in love and, coincidently, she may be our only hope at saving our world and restoring it to its former glory?" I asked sceptically. I looked at each of the Elders in turn, trying to judge their feelings on the matter. Arthuur looked just as doubtful as I did and I'm sure I saw him roll his eyes slightly. At my raised eyebrow he straightened and glanced at the vivid jade grass, suddenly finding it very interesting. Alysai's face was animated, her eyes glued to my father. Alggren was looking straight back at her and, with a sigh, I realised that they were discussing this in their heads.

I allowed my thoughts to stray to Rachel and I couldn't help but wonder what she was doing right now. What had happened after I left? Perhaps her father had packed their bags, and by the time I got back they will have gone. My mind began wondering over the intricacies of removing her voluntarily from her father's care. What about Hiram? Did he know about Leroy? I was sure he wasn't a Hunter as well; I had never sensed anything but compassion and caring from him. I began formulating a plan that I could put into motion when I returned.

"Fine, but when this goes horribly wrong, I'll try and refrain from saying 'I told you so'," Arthuur whined, his arms crossed over his chest and his mouth twisted into an almost-pout.

"Stop acting like a child, Arthuur. It doesn't become you," Alysai smirked. The more time I spent with her, the more I liked this Elder. She turned her gaze on me. '**The feeling is mutual young one.**' I returned her smirk as her voice hissed softly through my mind.

"Father?" I asked carefully, my implications clear. He nodded and gestured to a white marble bench close to the wall we entered through, that I hadn't noticed before. I followed him over and sat next to him, allowing him to take me hand. I marvelled at how soft his scales were. Usually it was a rough sensation, not unlike rubbing a finger the wrong way over a graze. My father's scales, however, were as silky as velvet, yet as unyielding as steel. He patted the back of my hand before laying it on my thigh, resting his own hands in his lap.

"We've agreed. You must remove Rachel from the Hunters' influence, not just to preserve the girl you know, but to save her. If you need to train her somewhere away from prying eyes, you may bring her here. Show her what she is fighting for. When she is ready; your journey begins." His eyes never left mine, his golden orbs burning intensely conveying the seriousness of the situation. When I nodded at him, his expression lightened and his chuckle danced gracefully through the air. "Give Santana my apologies. I fear she is, as you say, freaking out. And she still wants her gossip." I scoffed at him and shook my head in amusement.

"I will." I took a deep breath and stood up, thrusting my hands into my back pockets. "Wish me luck?" I asked with a shrug.

"You do not need luck. You are of dragon, my girl." He replied with complete confidence. I smiled and waited for him to send me home. When I opened my eyes I was met with the angry glare of Santana. She was just staring at me, not blinking. I glanced around nervously, and then really looked at her, unsure if she was actually alive and breathing. As I extended a finger to prod her in the shoulder she raised a hand and batted my arm away. She opened her mouth to say something, but I cut her off before she could begin.

"My dad says hi. Oh, and he's sorry you didn't get your gossip when you wanted it."

She continued staring for another minute then threw up her hands in annoyance and marched to the couch. After she had thrown herself onto it unceremoniously, she turned back to me and pointed to the other end of the sofa. With a smirk, I sat down and began telling her my tale, leaving nothing out.


	14. Chapter 13

**EAnIL - The first part of the Rachel POV is up, it's called Finding Hope. :)**

**Blue-Portrait - Me too. They are my favorite scenes to write. And Leroy will be a bit of an obstacle, but don't worry, I have things planned out. :)**

**agarza1538 - Hehe, me too. It's exciting. Or i hope it is. Or will be. :D**

**Sorry this took so long to get out, i had major writers block over this one, and there was the busy busy Christmas/New Years holidays to contend with. I hope this chapter is ok, apologies if it doesn't flow so well. **

**Disclaimer: The usual.**

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"But what if she's not at school?" I asked, an edge of panic lacing my voice. Santana paced around her bedroom, bottom lip held firmly between her teeth. I had stopped watching her mark a track in her floor about 10 minutes previous, her constant movement making me nauseous.

"She will be. This is Berry we are talking about; she wouldn't skip school if she was physically falling apart." I looked at her sceptically.

"What if she doesn't have a choice? Her father might pull her out. What if they've moved?" For the third time in as many hours I felt myself giving up and losing myself in my doubts. Santana picked up a piece of paper from her desk and quickly screwed it up into a ball. "Ow," I complained as the ball sailed through the air and hit me in in the temple. She merely stood there and smirked.

"Will you stop being so pessimistic? You're making depressed."

"But…" I started.

"No buts. Come on, we need to get to school," she said in a firm, no-nonsense voice. I huffed but stood up and grabbed my bag and followed her down the stairs, out the door and to her car. The drive was quiet as I went over what I was going to say if I had the opportunity. We made it in time for first class, one that Rachel didn't take with me, so I had no chance to seek her out. Once that class had ended, I searched the corridors; scanning each face as I moved from one room to the next. By lunchtime I hadn't found her. She wasn't in any of my morning classes anyway, but I was sure I would've seen her in the intervening periods.

I found Kurt and Mercedes sat together in the cafeteria and slid onto the bench opposite them. They both looked at me in surprise. "Can I help you Quinn?" Kurt asked feigning a polite air. I rolled my eyes and waved away his question.

"Have you seen Rachel today?" He pursed his lips and sighed through his nose.

"No," he replied. "She's not here today." I swallowed the urge to panic.

"Did she say why?" I didn't care who I was coming across to them. I was a few wrong answers away from leaving and heading to Rachel's house.

"Just that she's not feeling well. Why do you care?" I swallowed the burst of anger that threatened to bubble to the surface and forced a smile on my face. I was willing to play the game up until a certain point, but knowing what I knew, it seemed very insignificant in comparison.

"She's a friend; of course I care about her." I replied lightly. I glanced across the room to Santana. She was sat with Brittany, picking at her lunch and keeping half her attention on my progress. I caught her eye and shook my head subtly. She frowned then looked back at Britt, picking up the conversation again. Kurt scoffed and I narrowed my eyes at him. "Look, I get that I haven't been the best friend Rachel has ever had, but surely you two have noticed we have become closer recently."

They looked at each other, having a silent conversation using only a few wiggles of their eyebrows, a twist of the mouth and a small tip of the head. I waited as long as my patience would allow then cleared my throat to capture their attention again. Kurt looked at me and sighed. "Fine. What do you want?" I smiled at my tiny victory.

"I need you to do me a favour. Can you text Rachel and ask her to meet you in the park this afternoon?" He raised an eyebrow at me, looking a little sceptical.

"Why do I want to meet Rachel in the park later?" He asked.

"You don't, but I do. Her dad won't let her go if he knows it's me she is going to see." I hated giving away so much to them, but I knew that if I wasn't at least reasonably honest, they would turn me away immediately. "Please Kurt." He searched my face, looking for something, and seemingly finding it as he sighed again and pulled out his phone from his pocket. I watched as his thumbs darted across the screen, typing out his message before he laid the phone on the table and carried on eating his lunch. I tapped the pad of my fingers on the table nervously and kept my eyes on the black screen of the phone. A few minutes had passed when it lit up, a notification indicating that he had a message. I scanned his expression as he read it and held my breath when he turned to me.

"She said that as she is ill she really shouldn't be venturing out, but if it's important she thinks she can get there." I smiled. Of course she would be there if it's important.

"Tell her it is. Tell her it's something about Glee." I tried to keep the desperation from my voice but from the raised eyebrows I failed. Kurt fired off the second text message and again went back to his lunch. I felt my skin becoming itchy and swallowed heavily as I pushed all the thoughts out of my mind and forced myself to calm down. Shifting in the middle of the cafeteria at lunchtime was not something I wanted to do. Absentmindedly I scratched the palm of my hand and waited. I jumped slightly when the phone lit up again and leant forward, awaiting her reply.

"That's fine; she'll be there at 4.30." I beamed at him, pleased that my plan had worked. I checked the clock and decided that there was far too much time to kill between now and meeting Rachel.

"So, why does her dad not like you?" I turned my attention to Mercedes and grimaced.

"I guess for the bullying stuff," I lied with a shrug. They seemed to accept that explanation and I made my excuses and left them. I dropped to the bench opposite San and Brittany with a quick smile. "4.30," was all I said in reply to Santana's inquisitive look. She nodded her head once and continued playing with Brittany's fingers on the table. I smiled fondly at them the groaned as the shrill ringing of the bell announced the end of lunch. In class I planned my speech to a T, trying to allow for her arguments but ultimately I had no idea what she was going to say; if she would even listen to me.

I paced the path, ducking behind a tree every time I saw someone. I couldn't explain the behaviour if asked, I guess I was just skittish about the upcoming confrontation. "I knew it wasn't really Kurt." I jumped and let out a little squeal as Rachel's voice drifted to me from behind me. I turned and looked into her dark eyes. She could honestly pass as someone that was ill; her skin was paler than normal, her cheeks looking a little hollow and her eyes were puffy and red. I stepped forward, just wanting to hold her, to comfort her but for every step I took, she retreated.

"Rach. I'm so sorry I just left last night. Are you ok?" Not the beginning I had planned for my speech but I hadn't counted on her looking so crushed in the short space of time. She scoffed and I noticed an edge to her that I hadn't seen before.

"Ok? How would you be finding out that the person you loved, no two people that you loved most, had lied to you? Huh? How can I even begin to be ok?" The volume of her voice was rising until she was shouting at me. My heart broke as tears started to stream down her cheeks. I worried my bottom lip, waiting for her to give me a sign of some sort. "Was my father right?" I searched my memory, trying to pick out the part she wanted me to answer to. I came up with nothing; all I could think about is how this girl looked so much different to the one I left last night with whispers of 'I love you'.

"About what Rach?" She crossed her arms over her chest and rolled her eyes.

"That you knew what he was. You knew before you even approached me. You used the 'dream' to lower my inhibitions and get closer to me. It was all a lie to get to him!" She uncrossed her arms and curled her fingers into the inverted commas as she said the word dream then stabbed her index finger at me accusingly. Of course he would poison her mind against me; I should've seen this coming. He'd had the past 24 hours to convince her that a lifetime of love from her father was worth more than less than a month of our relationship.

"No," I whispered.

"I can't hear you, Quinn," she snapped.

"No," I raised my voice to match hers and she flinched. I shot her an apologetic look but carried on talking. "None of that is true. The first time I realised something was wrong was the night I asked you to be my girlfriend. He looked at me and my skin was crawling, like worms just under the surface. When I took you over to my world, I had no idea it was even possible to do it. After that I had to find out how much you knew. Humans in our world is forbidden." She stepped forward, finger still pointing at me like a weapon.

"But I'm not human am I? I'm something even worse." With a sob the tears began cascading again, renewing their path down her face.

"Oh, sweetheart." I saw her chest cave at the pet name and used the moment to move closer. I sped forward and wrapped my arms around her, waiting out her feeble protests until she settled her head against my shoulder and sobbed gently. "I'm so sorry you have to go through this. If I could I would take away your pain. I'm not going to give you an ultimatum. It's your choice which path you take from here." She nodded joltingly as another sob bubbled from her mouth. "The only I will say is: You are stronger than you think. You have so much power that you need to be taught how to control it." She shrugged out of my grip and backed away a few feet, anger contorting her features.

"Let me guess you're the one to do that? You'll guide me and help me, and then kill my father?" She balled her fists and stared me down. I relented and looked away first, struggling to keep up with her mood shifts. Her anger was overpowering, wave after wave hitting my full in the chest and leaving me dizzy and confused.

"I don't want to kill your father. I would never hurt you like that." I held up my hands at waist height, trying to calm her down. "I told you, it's all your choice." I watched as her chest heaved as her breathing became more erratic. She took a few paces towards me and looked down. For a second her scent changed and before I had a chance to analysis it she launched herself at me. One hand found my throat as the other, still curled into a fist, connected with my cheek. The loud, meaty smack echoed around us as we fell. I landed on my back, the wind forced from my lungs in a rush with Rachel on top of me. She tried to rain blows to my head and face but I grabbed her wrist and stilled the movements. I wiggled my fingers between my neck and her other hand and gained a tiny bit of breathing space.

Her face was stony and unyielding but her eyes were conflicted. I captured her gaze and focused hard. It didn't know if my attempts would work; I had never tried it like this, but I was hoping that it was a skill all Schian's had; to able to put thoughts into someone's mind. **Please stop Rachel**. Her grip loosened slightly as her eyes grew wide in shock. **I love you. **She shook her head, venomously denying my claim. I concentrated harder, not letting her gaze waver from mine and suddenly there was a cacophony of noise screaming through my mind.

**_She will try and kill you. You cannot trust her. _****But I love her.****_ Do you not love me? _****I do love you father****_. _****_Trust me._**

**She will kill me. It's just a ploy. Don't let her in. It's her job to kill me.**

I let go of Rachel's hands and clapped my palms over my ears, the roar almost splitting my skull in two. I arched my back off the floor in agony, the din reaching its climax.

**But I know she loves me. Don't I? **

Images began flashing on the back of my eyelids. Us kissing, holding hands, ice skating, making love. There were a hundred other voices screeching around me but I couldn't make out anything distinctive, it was just noise. Until it stopped. Silence settled heavily over me and I cracked one eye open. Staring back at me were chocolate orbs full of concern.

** I love you too.**

It was like a whisper through my mind yet it echoed in every corner. My headache started to rescind; just a dull throb remaining as I tried to push myself up. I made it to my elbows but couldn't go any further.

"How did you do that?" she asked softly as if scared to make any sound at all. I rubbed a hand over my face, trying to wipe away the pain of the last few minutes and licked my dry lips.

"I don't know. I didn't even know I could." I glanced around the park and noticed the sun was starting to drop below the horizon, painting the sky red. I concentrated on Rachel again, running a thumb over her cheeks; still damp from her tears. "But you have to believe me Rach. I'm not going to hurt you or your family." After a few seconds she nodded and pushed into my palm, placing a gentle kiss just below my thumb.

**I'm sorry.**

I pulled her into my arms, her body fitting over mine perfectly and breathed in her scent. There were still tendrils of anger, snaking their way from her but mostly she was just sad. "I have something to show you." I made a decision. I hope I had chosen right. Rachel nodded against my chest. "Close your eyes." I commanded gently. I focused on moving from this world to my own, more specifically; to the Elders chambers. I watched the shimmering transition as deep browns, reds and oranges were devoured by pure white until nothing else remained. After looking around I realised we were in the waiting room, sat against a protruding column next to the heavy marble door. I wiggled under Rachel, trying to find a better position to manoeuvre us up and she stirred, opening her eyes then wincing at the harsh light.

She backed off me and stood up, eyes wide as she took in the change of surroundings. I pushed off the pillar and took her hand, hoping to soothe the nerves that were radiating off of her. "It's ok Rach." She fixed her gaze on me and the crinkles in her forehead smoothed out as she smiled sheepishly.

"Where are we?" She asked quietly. Before I could answer her question the door cracked loudly and opened in front of us. I sighed and led Rachel into the chamber proper. I was surprised to find it empty, the light dimmed slightly but still illuminating the room from its obscured source. I let Rachel look around, awe evident on her face as she took in the enormous vaulted ceiling with its exquisite artwork blazing down. It was only when she turned to me that I felt compelled to explain our surroundings.

"These chambers belong to the Elders. They are the leaders of our race." She took in that information and glanced around once more.

"Why did you bring me here?" There was no anger in her voice, just a gentle enquiry. I grasped her hand again and she followed me to wall that shimmered. "Why are we walking towards a wall?" I chuckled at the question but carried on until I was close enough to touch it. I held my hand flat to the glossy white wall, the surface cool to the touch and pushed on through. I breathed in the warm, clean air and revelled in the gorgeous twinkling lights against the dark blue-black sky. I heard Rachel gasp as she too passed through to stand next to me. "It's beautiful." She whispered.

"This is how the wasteland I took you too used to be. Lush, green and full of life." A soft smile played on her lips as she stepped forward, twirling through the short grass with a flourish.

"It's beautiful," she repeated, laughter lifting her voice. She ended her spin so she was facing me but the smile dropped from her lips as her gaze was fixed over my shoulder. I took a deep breath and instantly recognised the scent.

"Rachel, meet my father."

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**A/N: The ****_Bold, underlined italics_******** are Leroy's voice in Rachel's head. It's an echo of the conversation they had after Quinn left. I hope that makes sense.**


	15. Chapter 14

**Blue-Portrait - Lol, i'm excited for Rachel as well. I love watching Characters develop and change. **

**EAnIL - *Blush* Why thank you. **

**Hi guys, Sorry it's taken forever to get this out. I sat with literally 850 words for 10 days then this turned out being the longest chapter i've written. Not quite sure how that happened. Anyway, i'm sorry for the wait, but i hope you like it. **

**Disclaimer: I own nothing. The usual.**

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I turned to see my father emerging from underneath a stand of trees; a path barely visible at his feet. He smiled at me before narrowing his eyes and frowning softly. I grew uncomfortable under his scrutiny until he finally looked at Rachel with a strange flicker in his eyes.

**What's happening Quinn? **I turned and shot her a reassuring smile before sending back to her.

**Just give me a minute ok? **She nodded then crossed her arms self-consciously, suddenly finding the floor a lot more interesting; giving us some privacy. I felt my father's eyes back on me.

**What just happened, child? **I glanced at him, nervous to meet his gaze. When I did I tried to read his face but it was blank and impassive. I swallowed hard and mentally offered up the incident in the park. He stared at me as he watched the exchange in his mind's eye, finally blinking a few minutes later. His expression turned angry and in a flash he was directly in front of me; fingers gripping my biceps, claws digging in slightly. I winced at the minor pain but didn't back down.

**You should never, never push thoughts without being shown how. Have you no idea how dangerous that is my child? **I realised that his tone was more worried and frustrated than angry and it helped calm me a little. He let out a quiet sigh and let go of me. **I know you are strong willed Quinn and I am sorry there was no one to teach you how to develop your powers but there is help for you now. Please take it.**

I nodded but had to defend myself. It wasn't just a foolish test of my strength. **I had to do something father. She was not herself and I couldn't get through to her any other way. **He sighed again, this one heavier, and conceded the point with a tilt of his head. I lowered my eyes respectfully. **Would you like to meet her? **I asked with a shy smile. He returned the look and nodded.

We walked over to Rachel who had turned her back on us and I cleared my throat softly. She spun around and immediately flushed at the attention on her. "Rachel, this is Alggren, my father. Father, this is Rachel Berry." I watched in amusement as Rachel extended her hand and curtsied at the same time. I looked to see the same wry smile on the Elders face as he took her hand in his and shook it lightly.

"It is nice to finally meet you, young one," his voice rumbled gently. Rachel's cheeks grew a darker shade of red and her eyes found the floor once again.

**Rach, it is ok, be yourself. He'll love you.** I sent, repeating some of the words she had offered me the night I met her parents. She looked at me and smiled bashfully.

"It's very nice to meet you too, Sir. I, uh, I'm afraid I don't know much about you, or anything really. I always assumed Russell was Quinn's father so it never occurred to me that there could be someone else. But still, it is a pleasure." She took a breath and looked a little embarrassed at her ramble.

**She does that a lot. **I sent in reply to my father's quirk of eyebrow. He chuckled.

"The pleasure is all mine, Rachel," he responded with a gentle smile. Her embarrassment dissipated and she allowed a brilliant smile. My father turned to me. "This space is yours, to use however you see fit. You know where I'll be if you need me." With that he turned and ambled back the way he came. I stared at the space he was occupying for a while after he was gone. '_How will I know where to find him?_' I never knew there was more to this place than what was before my eyes.

"So that's your father? I didn't realise that Russell wasn't your real dad." Her soft voice interrupted my thoughts and I turned to her with a kind smile.

"It sounds awful but I'm glad I'm not tied to that man. He meant little to me growing up; he was just a tormentor. I was young enough and naive enough to be moulded by his views at one point," I glanced at her with an apology in my eyes and I knew she understood when I was talking about. "But I learnt that he was talking about things he had no concept of so I began to ignore him; obeying only when it was vitally important." She reached out and gripped my hand, tugging me into her embrace.

"What are we going to do Quinn? I'm so confused." I puffed my cheeks out and held her tighter.

"I don't know, love. But we'll get through it. I love you and I won't leave you. I want to help you through this." She nodded and sniffled. I pulled back to see tears streaking down her cheeks.

"I can't leave my dad though. What about daddy?" She asked, panic stricken.

"Doesn't he know anything?" I asked cautiously. She shook her head then lowered it back to my shoulder. "I don't know." I repeated. "Do you want to see something?" I asked with a smile. She raised her head and looked at me sceptically, wiping the tears with one hand.

"There is more to see?" I nodded with a laugh and tugged her along until we reached the arch that supported the ebony mirror. I slid behind her lifted her hand to the polished surface. I watched her eyebrows scrunch together into a frown in the reflection.

**It's ok. Trust me. **She conceded with a small dip of her head and let me press our fingertips to the smooth surface. I smiled gently as the warmth travelled up my fingers and hand to my wrist. I concentrated on my father; on seeing him when he was younger. I wanted Rachel to see him as I had when I found out he was my real father. The onyx enamel rippled and spread, smoothing out seconds later. Rachel's pulse quickened and I held her tighter against me as we became immersed in the image projecting from the mirror.

My eyes found my father immediately; his brilliant crimson scales gleaming in the burning evening light. We were stood on an outcropping of rocks surrounded by lilac fields. My father sat on a ledge with another Schian; her scales a pretty and vibrant pink colour. With a start I realised it was my mother. I watched as he raised his hand and traced a finger across her forehead and down her cheek, ending under her chin. They leant in for a kiss and I averted my eyes; blinking rapidly at the soft sting of tears. Rachel glanced back at me, the frown returning when she saw my expression. I swallowed and kissed her cheek.

"My mother and father." I whispered against her silky skin. Her mouth popped open in a perfect little 'o' and she glanced back at them. They were sat closer together, shoulders touching with mother resting her head against his chest as they watched the sun setting. "Elders can't live in our world. They can only produce two children in their lifetimes. I was placed within Russell's care with my mother." I closed my eyes against the scene still playing out in front of us. I felt Rachel turn in my arms and press her lips to my jaw. I opened my eyes and found saddened chocolate orbs staring back at me.

"He hurt you." It wasn't a question and I did nothing to deny the statement. I lowered my gaze to her shoulder and let a sigh hiss through my lips. "Oh Quinn. I'm so sorry, love." I found her eyes again and smiled lightly.

"It's ok. That part of my life is over now." I pecked the tip of her nose, chuckling when she wrinkled her face on response. I reached over her shoulder and pressed my finger into the ebony crust causing another wave to spread to the edges. Within seconds we were submersed in the projected image. I turned Rachel around and she drew in a quick breath. We seemed to be in a cave; all around us was the clanging of metal and airy grunts, illuminated by fiery torches thrust into the ground. The vision expanded around us and we found the source of the noise. Two people were sparring with short swords. I recognised the African woman from the first time I used the mirror but the man she was training with was a stranger. She was wearing a cropped black t-shirt that clung to her skin and ripped black trousers that accentuated her curves.

The man swiped the sword at her midriff but she jumped back just enough that it passed her without problem and she could step to deliver a blow to the back of his head with the pommel, then she danced away. The man went down to one knee and tried to shake the blow off but as soon as he stood up his legs buckled and he sunk to the floor with a groan. While he was dragged from the area another man stepped up. He was well over 6 feet with bronzed skin and sandy hair, wearing a loose grey tee and long shorts. As the pair stalked each other I noticed he had unnaturally blue eyes; they almost seemed to glow in the darkness and I found myself being drawn into his gaze. I was broken from my reverie as the woman let out a shout in her language and charged at him. He set himself for her attack but she feinted at the last second and left him with a red slash through his thin grey t-shirt.

He merely grunted and pulled the garment over his head with one hand and tossed it away, paying no attention to cut on his taut abdomen that was beginning to dribble blood down his body. He nodded at her and she smirked in return before raising her sword and stepping forward. He parried the first few strikes then began returning them. They battled for nearly 10 minutes trading minor cuts and unrestrained punches before they stepped back for a breather. They were both covered in a light sheen of sweat and panting as they re-grouped. After a beat they locked eyes and the woman tilted her head and raised an eyebrow. The man pondered her unspoken question for a second then nodded before closing his eyes. With a quiet crunch I watched his fingers lengthen and his nails sharpen, his cheeks became raised and his skin lost its smoothness; replaced with the now familiar bumps. As he stretched I noticed he had a golden tint to his skin that shimmered in the flickering fire light.

I glanced at the woman and saw that she had transformed as well, her skin giving of the same midnight blue as before. They both threw down the swords and started circling one another, waiting for the other to provide an opening for their attack. The woman cricked her neck to the side and the bronzed man darted forward with a swipe of his claws to her throat but found nothing but air as she carried her momentum with her and dropped her shoulder, planting her hand on the floor to take her weight. She then kicked out both feet, catching him in the gut before bringing her free hand and her legs over her head, flipping to land in a crouch. He recovered quickly and marched forward but she performed a double back flip to take herself out of his reach. A scowl twisted his lips until he realised she was backing herself into a corner.

His steps became more purposeful as he steered her into his trap. She looked startled as her back hit the rough wall. She bounced on her toes, waiting for him to make the first move; eyes flicking over him constantly. He lashed out his fist, aiming for her head but she ducked underneath it as it smashed into the solid rock. As chunks of rubble and dust flew up she slid beneath his arm; hands gripping his muscular back and brought he knee up to connect with his ribs. He grunted as the blow landed and staggered back. She followed up by swinging her leg up to plant her bare foot in his face. Vivid scarlet blood spurted from his nose and coated his chin and chest as he swore through the pain.

The woman hopped away with a wicked grin on her face, the deep blue tint glimmering with each movement. The man turned too glowered at her before spitting out a wad of red spittle. He wiped his hand under his nose, smearing the blood over his cheek then wiped the liquid on his shorts. He straightened up and strode towards her, a growl emanating from his throat. She laughed and took a playful jab at his head which he just batted away. She threw another one; this one to his body but I met it with a punch of his own. She bit back a yelp as the bones of her fingers crunched under the force and cradled the hand against her body. He pressed the advantage and lashed a kick at her leg; catching her on the side of her knee. She dropped awkwardly and grimaced. She looked up and rolled to the left as he lifted foot and brought it down in a stomping motion. As his heel hit the hard ground she jammed the talons of her good hand through the top of his foot, wincing at the force used. As she pulled her claws free she brought her arm back and launched her fist at his other leg, punching at his calf.

He cried out as a loud crack echoed around the cave and he fell on his back, curling into the foetal position with his hands gripping his knee tenderly. The woman slid backwards on her bum until she reached the wall then she rested there as two large men moved to help the fallen man. With a quiet sigh I pulled us out of the vision and blinked hard to adjust to the change in lighting. Rachel's pulse was thumping steadily through her back and against my chest as I held her close.

"What was that?" She asked. I gripped her hand and tugged her to the floor, resting against the base of the stone archway. When she was settled by my side, I began explaining.

"They were Hunters. I wanted to show you who you are and what you can do." She nodded with a contemplative look on her face. She took a breath; as if to ask a question then closed her mouth and pursed her lips. "What?" I asked, amusement pulling my lips into a gentle smile.

"Will my skin do that? Go all bumpy and shine with a colour? And can I fight like that? And move like that?" I took her hands in mine; placing quick kisses to her knuckles.

"Yes, yes, maybe and maybe." I answered in order. "Your fingers will lengthen and your nails will turn into claws. I don't know what other physical changes you will go through but if it's anything like mine, you forget about it as soon as it's done. I don't know what colour you will take. And I can teach you to fight if you want." She nodded slowly, absorbing the information.

"I liked the gold." I smiled at her.

"Of course you did." I let out a heavy sigh, glancing at the inky sky above us. "I should get you home soon." I sensed her mood change and squeezed her hands. She drew a deep breath and turned to me, her smile not quite reaching her eyes.

"I suppose. I just can't bring myself to leave this place. It's so tranquil." I smiled and nodded that I understood what she meant. It was peaceful here. I couldn't believe that someone would seek to destroy something so wonderful and then put a curse on it so nothing every really grew back. And they thought we were the bad guys. I stood slowly, pulling Rachel up with me and into my arms.

"We'll get through this sweetheart." I soothed. She sighed heavily against my chest as I concentrated on taking us back to Lima. When I opened my eyes we were just down the road from Rachel house, standing under the harsh orange glare of a street light. We walked in silence to the bottom of her drive and I stopped, unsure of where we were to go from here. She turned to me.

"Come in with me. Please?" She begged, fear in her chocolate eyes. I was a little surprised by her request but conceded all the same. I waited for her to enter first, nerves on edge and tensed for a fight. Verbally or physically I wasn't sure, but I would be ready. I closed the door behind me and watched Rachel poke her head into the kitchen and lounge. She turned to me and shrugged when they were both empty. All of a sudden there was a bang from upstairs and before either of us could move, Leroy came barrelling down the stairs.

"I thought you were going to see Kurt young lady!" He shouted at her. Immediately I could feel my temper rising and my skin crawling as he directed furious daggers my way. Rachel backed up to stand in front of me, arms crossed over her chest and I could feel that she was panicking.

"I was," she snapped out. "But I found someone on the way." He focused his intense gaze on me and the itching was amplified. My eyes bore into Rachel.

**I should go Rachel. **She turned slightly and caught my look.

**You can't leave. I need you. **I balked, then nodded and put all my energy in not changing. The hatred being forced my way wasn't helping my task. The little worms were turning into snakes that were trying to bite their way through my skin.

"Where's daddy?" She asked, concern lacing her voice. He blinked and looked around for a moment before something seemed to occur to him.

"He's on his way to Kurt's to find you. It's passed your curfew." Again he glared at me and with a rush of adrenaline the shift began, moving faster than normal under his scrutiny. Rachel turned to see me spread my wings wide and bare my teeth at her father. My transformed body took up a great deal of space in the entry hall so that when Hiram barrelled through the door seconds later he ran headlong into one of my wings. He batted it away with a shriek and backed up against the now closed door. I pulled my wings tight against my back and turned, momentarily forgetting how I looked. My appearance drew another shriek from him as Rachel stepped forward to comfort him.

"Daddy, please calm down. There are somethings that you need to know." She led him into the lounge, supressing a giggle as he skirted around me as quickly as he could. I felt Leroy's stare on me again but the intensity was gone now that I had shifted so I merely returned it with icy eyes. He moved into the lounge with Rachel and Hiram while I hung back by the stairs, keeping my distance so I didn't enflame the situation further. Rachel turned to Leroy, her annoyance evident. "Well? Explain away then dad." She stepped back, giving Leroy the floor.

With a final glare at me he tried to explain what was happening. He explained about his people and how Rachel was one of them and about her destiny. Rachel kept flicking her gaze between Hiram and myself but not once looking at Leroy. I knew she was hurting and struggling with who to trust but I was hoping this wouldn't go against me now. After Leroy was finished explaining Hiram nodded once, slowly and turned to look at me. I sensed his confusion but he was no longer afraid.

"Quinn?" He queried gently. I allowed a closed lip smile and nodded my confirmation. "How -?" He began, faltering when he couldn't find the right words. I stepped forward and perched on the arm of the chair; facing him. I explained myself in much the same way Leroy had except I gave him only facts and didn't inject any sentiment in my speech. I couldn't use emotional cues like he could. I couldn't claim to know what he was thinking or what he would do if he were me. I could only be as clear and expressive as I could.

My heart began to pound when Rachel sat next to me in the chair and rested her hand on my knee lending me her support. Hiram watched our interaction with kind eyes and a gentle smile, both disappearing to be replaced by a stony mask when he turned to Leroy. "How much longer were you going to lie to me? Were you ever going to tell me, tell my daughter, what was happening?" I grew uncomfortable as his anger emanated out from his body. Leroy looked stricken as he realised he would have to work to win his lover over.

"I wanted to tell you. Every day, I wanted to tell you. I just couldn't." Rachel gaze met mine and I sent her an apology. I know she wanted to ask me the same things. When would I have told her my secret? I would've at some point, I know that for certain but now it was no longer relevant. She waved off my apology with a twitch of her hand and a quick smile. "Rachel has a bigger destiny than we could've ever imagined. She is the first in a long time to have born of two Hunters. She more powerful than most of us. She will save our race." I watched her raise an eyebrow, annoyance evident on her face.

"Do I not get a say in this? Is what I want not important? You've made up your mind and just assume I will be led along like a sheep." Leroy stepped up to her, hands cupping her cheeks.

"We need you, cupcake. Without you, we have no chance of winning this war and claiming what is rightfully ours." A powerful burst of anger hit me in chest and knocked me to the floor. I gasped in a mouthful of air but found it wasn't enough.

"Rach-," I choked out, almost blinded by her pain.

"War?" She scoffed. "Nothing can justify what I've seen. What was done to their world cannot be excused!" Leroy straightened at her words as realisation dawned on her face.

"You've seen it? You've been there? How? How did you get there?" He gripped her shoulders in his hands, his face animated and his eyes wide. She shook her head, lips sucked between her teeth as fear radiated through her. I got to my feet, steadying myself on the chair. I reached into her mind, shutting out the unintelligible voices this time and reached the space that was quiet and serene.

**Rachel. Listen to me. You have to calm down. Just focus on me. You don't have to be afraid. Not now. I won't let anything happen to you. **I watched her shut her eyes and push out the breath she had been holding. She shrugged off her father's hands and stepped back before shooting her Hiram a sad look. He seemed to understand her request and gestured to the front door.

"Perhaps it's better if you leave Leroy. I think we need some space to adjust to these revelations." Leroy's mouth hung open and he absorbed the words.

"You're kicking me out?" He asked incredulously.

"You're upsetting our little girl and I need time alone after the announcement. I would be grateful if you could respect my wishes." Hiram asked softly. Leroy's gaze snapped to me, his anger filling the room.

"You! This is all your fault. Filthy Schian. You will pay for this!" He exclaimed, marching forward. Rachel stepped between us and held him back with a hand to his chest. I saw tears in her eyes and my heart ached for her. He looked at her face and stopped. His anger dissipating instantly at the sight of his daughter crying. He swallowed heavily and sighed. "Okay. I'll leave. But I'm not going far," He conceded reluctantly before shooting Hiram a lingering look as we walked to the front door. Silence engulfed us once the door was closed and I found myself at a loss for what to do. Rachel turned to me, cheeks damp and eye bloodshot, and collapsed in my arms. I held her tight as sobs escaped her rapidly, eventually pulling her onto the couch and cuddling her close. Hiram lay a blanket over our legs and made his way up stairs; his expression vacant and disbelieving. I wanted to help him to soothe him, but I couldn't leave Rachel. After a little while I shifted back to my human form and settled behind Rachel as the big spoon. Her breathing evened out and I pulled the blanket up around our shoulders; covering my modesty. I kept watch until the sun shone through the closed blinds, sending parallel bars of light across the floor and up the wall.


	16. Chapter 15

**EAnIL - For some reason i really like writing fight scenes. Could you tell lol? But i'm glad you found the first half sweet. It took ages to write it :) Hiram will definitely be a supporter. He wants to keep his daughter and he knows that the best way to do that is to let her decide what she wants to do and support her. Leroy however, is too consumed by his war to see that he will lose his family. **

**Blue-Portrait - Ooo, that would've been cool, but no, sadly my mind didn't make that jump. Thanks, like i said ^ I like writing fight scenes. To Leroy, it's all about the mission and the war. **

**Disclaimer: I own nothing. **

**R&R please. Pretty please. With a cherry on the top.**

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I slid my arm from beneath Rachel's head when she stirred; clenching my fingers into a fist repeatedly to try and get feeling back to the appendage. She raised her head slightly to aid me then dropped her head back to the arm of the couch, reaching back with one hand to pull me closer. When her fingers brushed the curve of my hip I jumped and gasped, goosebumps erupting over my skin. She turned abruptly to face me, dislodging the blanket as she moved and exposing my breasts to the cool morning air. I smirked as hers eyes became fixated on one rapidly hardening nipple and her tongue peeked out to wet her lips.

I waved my hand in front of her face, distracting her from my assets and she raised her eyes to mine with a sheepish smile and a blush. I leant forward to place a sweet kiss on her lips. "I'm sorry about last night. I wish there was something I could do." She stopped my words with a shake of her head and a frown.

"It wasn't your fault. I know you didn't want to make me choose a side but clearly my father did. It made me angry that he had my future mapped out for me without even consulting me first. I realised that the words he fed me the other night were just meant as propaganda to make me hate you. I'm so ashamed it worked for a while." I silenced her with another kiss.

"You know," I began, "I worried. When you were talking in the park, I worried that I'd lost you. How could our relationship compare to the love of your father?" Anger flashed across her face, as soon as it registered it was gone again but the feeling remained as she grabbed at my wrist; pulling my hand to press against her chest. I felt her heart beating a little faster than normal under the skin.

"That is because of you. Always! My heart has always started beating faster, beating harder whenever you're around. From that first moment in the hallway, with every stupid insult you flung at me, every time I see you. I get butterflies in my stomach that never stop fluttering when I'm with you. There is this connection that I can't explain, can't describe but I do know that it's special. It's something that I'm not going to let go of." I tried to control my breathing as she looked up at me through her thick eyelashes but she was making it so difficult. A quiet cough startled us both and I scrambled to pull the blanket around me as Hiram climbed down the stairs.

"I trust you feel the same Quinn?" He asked me. I forced myself to meet his tired eyes, softening at the sleep tousled hair and dark lines on his face. Clearly he hadn't slept all night. I nodded at him then turned my gaze back to Rachel.

"I would lay down my life for her," I proclaimed seriously, opening my heart for Rachel to see. Tears rimmed her lower lids, threatening to spill over and dampen her cheeks. I twisted to look back at him. "I'm so sorry for what happened last night. I never wanted this." He held up his hand with a soft smile.

"It's not your fault Quinn. You don't need to apologise." He shook his head gently and moved into the kitchen. I looked back to Rachel, catching the unbearable sadness in her eyes and I wished things had gone differently.

"I want you to show me how to fight. Teach me how to be a… a Hunter." She said suddenly, still focused on the space her father had been stood in. I hooked my finger underneath her chin and gently turned her head towards me. She looked anxious.

"It would be my pleasure," I drawled with a tender smile. She allowed a shy grin and ducked her head against my shoulder, laying a quick kiss in the hollow of my collar bone. "There's just one thing I ask of you." I continued. She hummed her acknowledgement. "Can I borrow some clothes before Hiram comes back in?" She raised her head to look at me with amused eyes. She swept her gaze under the blanket one last time then rolled off the couch and hurried up the stairs. I despaired at the situation for a few moments before Hiram walked into the room and sat on the arm of the chair opposite me, looking pensive.

"What do you intent for her to do?" He asked me, his face not giving away any emotions. I swallowed thickly and bunched the blanket under my chin.

"Whatever she wants to do. I'm not here to recruit her or persuade her to do something she doesn't want to do. She's an adult; she can make up her own mind." I answered honestly. He mulled over my answer for a second then let out a heavy sigh.

"I don't want to lose her Quinn. She is all I have now." I hated the finality of his tone, as if he knew he wasn't going to see Leroy again. A part of me wanted to be wrong, that perhaps Leroy would change his mind and realise his family was more important than the notion of war.

"I promise you, I will not let anything happen to her, whatever her decision." He nodded and looked at the floor. Rachel came down the stairs, flicking her gaze between me and her father as she handed me a tank top and some sweats. I held them against my chest and sent a silent thank you to Rachel. Hiram stood and leant over to place a kiss on the top of her head before turning towards the stairs and making his way up them. Once he was gone I started pulling on the clothes. "Are you coming to school today?" I asked with a glance at the clock. She looked at me incredulously.

"You're thinking about school? After all that you've shown me and everything at has happened?" There was no anger to her voice, just surprise. I thought for a second of how to explain it to her.

"For us, blending in and causing as little trouble as possible is very important. We rely on keeping a low profile and keeping a good attendance is a great way to do that." She started biting at her bottom lip, a look of confusion on her face.

"But you're the head cheerleader, that's not exactly low profile is it? Everyone in school knows who you are." I nodded at her logic.

"True. We hold our positions for good reason." I replied, thinking of Santana.

"We?" Rachel asked. I opened my mouth then promptly shut it with a snap. '_Shit. She doesn't know about San._'

"We Schian's. We hold specific positions within society…" I trailed off when she raised an eyebrow and folded her arms across her chest, shooting me a disbelieving look. I sighed, knowing I would have to tell her the truth. "Santana and I." Her mouth dropped open.

"Santana is the same as you?" I nodded gently. "And Brittany?" I looked at her with a quizzical expression.

"No? Why Brittany?" I asked.

"Well, you're always together and aren't her and Santana in a relationship?" I tilted my head to acknowledge the leap wasn't so strange.

"No. Brittany is human as far as I know. It's quite amusing actually. Santana doesn't really like humans, she never has and apparently never will; except Brittany." I chuckled.

"Oh. I thought she was just a bitch," Rachel teased. A bark of laughter escaped my throat.

"That too. Don't tell her I told you, but she actually quite likes you." I almost whispered in a mock conspiratorial tone. Rachel played along and looked scandalised at my information, swatting my arm with a 'Nooo'. I smirked. "So, are you coming to school? I understand if you don't want given everything that has happened," I added with a look to the stairs. She followed my gaze for a second then nodded.

"I just need to speak to daddy a second." I let her go with a kiss to her cheek. When I knew she was in her father room I picked up the house phone and dialled Santana's number from memory. She picked up on the third ring.

"Yo Q. Mami says you need to tell us if you're going to skip out of the night." I rolled my eyes at her greeting but a surge of guilt stopped any sarcastic remark I might have made.

"Apologise to her for me. Something came up. Can you pick me up from Rachel's please?" I asked gently. She didn't press the issue, she just agreed and said she be here in 10 minutes. By the time I'd hung up Rachel had joined me. She was holding an apple and a bottle of juice. I accepted both gratefully with a kiss. Rachel had changed and washed and she tasted of mint. It made me very conscious of my own hygiene and I hoped San would be here sooner rather than later. A few minutes later she screeched to a stop outside the house and waited for us to bundle out and into the car.

"So, 'fess up Q. What happened?" She asked as I climbed into the front and Rachel into the back. She took off in the direction of her house.

"Well, I took Rachel to meet my father and showed her some of her people." I stated bluntly. Santana glanced over at me then in the rear view mirror at Rachel. "She knows everything San." Her head snapped back to me.

"You told her everything?" I nodded and waited for a rant but none was forthcoming. She looked thoughtful. "Do you think Britt would understand?" My heart melted at her question.

"I don't know San. But you know the rules, you can't tell humans about us." I replied as gently as I could. "Though Britt would love it! She'd ask for rides all the time." Santana smirked then let it stretch into a genuine smile. "Maybe talk to your mother. She'll know what to do."

She nodded and pulled into her driveway. I hopped out, telling them I'd only be a minute. I ran in and up the stairs, cleaning my teeth and jumping in the shower to have a quick wash when I reached the bathroom. In my bedroom I pulled on a clean uniform and scraped my hair back into a high ponytail. I grabbed my bag and ran back down the stairs, out the door and into the car. When I was buckled in I noticed a small smile on Rachel's face and a grimace on San's. I shot a questioning look at Rach but she just shrugged and smiled at me. I let it go and faced forward for the ride to school in silence.

The day went as slow as usual; lunch the only highlight as I discussed possible plans for training with Rachel. I didn't have cheer practice so we went straight from school to the Elders chambers to use the space. We began with strengthening techniques and breathing routines, with a little sparing towards the end.

We kept the schedule for 4 days a week, leaving two days during the week and Sundays free to relax and wind down. We used those 'down days' to intensify our bond and work on Rachel's other powers. My father was a great help, reviewing everything he could think of about older hunters in the Mirror of Stneicna and forging a strategy for Rachel to follow. He was also helping me with my mental abilities. I was finding it easier to project and to use my 'third eye' to see the area around me with more clarity. Two weeks into the regime and Rachel was improving greatly.

I held up my hands, giving Rachel a target to aim for as she threw her fists through the air. She grunted lightly with each punch, moving her feet deftly to follow me around the space. I smirked and threw a few jabs, pulling well short and watched her reaction. She caught on quickly and started dodging to the side, flicking her ponytail over her shoulder when it began tickling her. A light sheen of perspiration covered her exposed skin and I became distracted by a bead of sweat tracing a path from her clavicle to the valley of her breasts; even the steady tapping on my palms couldn't break my absorption as I went through the motions. I jumped when a gentle slap landed on my cheek and raised my gaze to meet the twinkling eyes and mischievous grin of Rachel. "What?" I asked innocently.

"Perv," she retorted with a smirk. I raised an eyebrow and shrugged my left shoulder, allowing my gaze to sweep her body once again. Clad in skin-tight black Lycra leggings that ended mid-calf and a tight black tank top that emphasised her cleavage, she was a walking distraction for anyone with eyes. She let out a bark of laughter and moved to swat me on the arm but I darted out of her reach, poking my tongue out at her in jest. A look of determination came over her face and she pursed her lips, moving round to the right to circle me. I shot her a wide smile shook my arms out slowly, readying myself for her attack. I took a deep breath in through my nose as she moved out of my field of vision over my right shoulder and closed my eyes; listening to her movements.

In my minds eyes I watched her cock her head to the side, confused at my not following her path. After a beat she shuffled her feet and set herself before pouncing forward, arms outstretched and ready to grab me. I ducked into a crouch; turning to the side so she passed right by me, her arms flying over my head and tapped her thigh with the side of my hand. I was stood facing her before she could stop her momentum and set herself again. She turned with a scowl, wiping down her thigh to remove the invisible evidence of my soft blow. "Not fair," she muttered, eyes flicking over my body to find a weakness.

I laughed. "Of course it's fair. I couldn't even see you dear." She huffed at my, apparently offensive, use of logic and looked away sullenly.

"Fine. But I will take you down." I acknowledged her challenge with a sweep of my hand, inviting her to try, and a smile. She narrowed her eyes and stepped to the left, gaze flicking between my limbs and my face. I allowed once glance to the side, lazily tracking her and sighed with mock impatience. She cracked her knuckles and rushed in from the side, feinting left but throwing her weight to the right and trying to side swipe me. I blocked her arm and rotated behind her, bringing her arm round but not pushing it. She grunted in surprise as I laid my fingers against her throat tenderly.

"So now you have a leg wound and your throat will be ripped out." I was matter of fact, all pretence of play gone. "You need to learn to be lighter, keep your weight on the balls of your feet." She huffed again and batted my hand away, pulling forward out of my grasp.

"You've been doing this a lot longer than me," she whined. I raised my eyebrow again and she relaxed her shoulders, an apology on her lips.

"I'm trying to teach you, love. Battles aren't won on punching prowess alone. You need to be able to strategise and work out your opponents' weaknesses, and then you can fight them." She nodded and took up a standard attack stance. I adjusted my weight and did the same. She nodded again and I threw a slow right jab at her, allowing her to block it and launch a counterpunch aimed at my ribs. I smiled gently as I brought my other hand across to grasp her wrist and changed its trajectory so it passed in front of my body. She took a step back and revaluated our positions. I scratched an itch on my nose and rotated my shoulders. She watched my actions and shifted her weight forward onto her toes. I waited a beat for her attack and when none came I went on the offensive.

I shot a fist out at her head, smiling when she dodged it and sent her own back. I ducked underneath her hand and curled an uppercut towards her abdomen. She batted my hand away and stepped inside, jabbing her knuckles into my ribs. I grunted at the discomfort but ignored most of the pain. A gentle smirk played on her lips as she skipped back out of my reach. We carried on sparring and trading careful blows until things became a little more heated. Sweat dripped from my brow and ran down my back as Rachel's chest heaved with the effort. Our movements sped up; punching and blocking, retaliating and checking merging into a blur of limbs and skin.

Rachel threw a hook that caught me on the cheek and snapped my head back. I used the momentum and executed a back flip, trailing a leg to hit Rachel under the chin. I landed on my feet while Rachel hit the ground hard, the wind being forced from her lungs as her back collided with the soft grass. She rolled backwards; over one shoulder and pushed to her feet immediately. With a shout she swung at me again but I ducked and ended up behind her. I shot a kick at the back of her knee but she was too quick and jumped, spinning in the air to land a round house kick that smacked into my shoulder. There was a faint cracking noise, and for a second I thought she had popped my shoulder from its socket but when I looked up she had shifted. She was absolutely beautiful.

Her skin shimmered a luminescent sliver colour, slightly distorting the subtle bumps that had appeared over her skin. The cracking had come from her fingers as they lengthened and her nails sharpened into claws. She looked at me through bright golden irises as understanding washed over her face. As she swept my body with her eyes, I felt a feather light touch follow her gaze. It was the gentle caress of a lover, the soft breeze of a spring day. It was invigorating and breath-taking. It was everything Leroy's scrutiny hadn't been and I stared at her in wonder. "I can feel you," I mumbled. She stepped towards me, her focus shifting to my neck and I felt the ghost of her lips glide over my pulse point. She raised her hand to cup my cheek, her thumb tracing over my bottom lip and a surge of arousal rushed through me to settle at the juncture of my thighs.

Rachel's eyes snapped to mine and she dropped her hand by her side. With a grunt she shifted back; the glow that irradiated her skin dimmed then fizzled out as her fingers clicked back to normal. She stepped forward again, pressing her body firmly against mine and my heart rate sped up. I crashed my lips against hers and our tongues fought for dominance in a passionate and frenzied dance. I spun us round and backed her into a tree. She lifted her legs to wrap around my waist and my hands found the back of her thighs and her buttocks to give her support. I pressed harder and used one hand to lift her top, freeing her delicious breasts. As I took a nipple in my mouth she tangled her fingers in my hair, keeping my head still and her other hand snaked into the tree and wrapped around a branch.

I caressed her through the skin-tight leggings, running my fingers over her core. She moaned and pushed her hips into my touch. I shifted my mouth to her other nipple, enjoying the salty tang of her skin and pulled the waist band of the Lycra down to her thighs. She held onto the branch with both hands to unwrap her legs from my body and I peeled the material from the limbs before she used them to pull me back to her. I latched my lips onto her neck and sucked hard as my fingers found their way into her panties and through her slick folds. I wasted little time and easily slipped my fingers inside her, marvelling at how tight she still was. My mouth trailed a path to her breasts and I sucked on a nipple again, twirling the bud with my tongue. I sped up my rhythm and Rachel picked up the pace easily, using the tree as leverage to lift herself and force back down faster. I ignored the burning in my legs and back and pushed through, my arm never slowing as Rachel met my thrusts. Her moans grew louder and with a final keening whimper she clenched around my fingers, her thighs trembling with the effort and her climax.

She let go of the branch and slumped against me. I sunk to my knees, twisting to lay her next to the tree. "That was intense," she panted into my neck. I hummed my agreement while I placed soft kisses over her chest and neck. "And unexpected." She added with a laugh. She swiped the back of hand over her forehead then pushed up onto her elbows. "I could sense everything. I could hear your heartbeat, and I could taste your skin, and feel your desire." I shuddered at her words and pulled her into me for another kiss. Her hand slipped down my ribs, over my hip and into my shorts. I gasped into her mouth when her finger brushed over my clit and moaned when she circled the bundle of nerves. She sped up her ministrations and I quickly felt the pressure building in my stomach as my orgasm approached. "Especially your desire." She murmured against my lips. I moaned one last time as she sent me crashing over the edge.

She pulled me into her body, cradling my head against her collarbone and placed a delicate kiss on the top of my head. "You did well," I slurred. She snorted and swatted me.

"I don't need feedback on my sexual techniques, dear." She laughed. I rolled my eyes and lifted my head to my hand, resting my elbow on the lush grass.

"I meant the fighting. And cocky much?" I teased. She leant over and kissed my cheek.

"It's not cocky if you can back it up." She replied with a wink. I raised an eyebrow and huffed with mock indignation. I glanced at the sky and noticed it was getting darker.

"Time's up sweetheart. I should get you home." She stuck her bottom lip out in a pout. I scoffed and kissed away the sulky expression. I rolled over to her discarded leggings and threw them in her direction. She caught them in mid-air and pulled them over her smooth, tones legs. I watched the motion with appreciation, smirking when she rolled her eyes at me. She stood and gave me one last kiss before I closed my eyes, concentrating on moving her through space to her house and moving myself to my room at Santana's. When I opened my eyes I found myself stood next to the huge oak wardrobe. I crossed the room and picked up my phone waiting for the tell-tale text. I opened it when it finally came through.

**Rachel: You're getting better at that. Landed in the lounge. Daddy needs a new shirt… He says you can pay. :) Love you xx**

I smirked. Last time I tried returning us to separate houses she ended up on the sidewalk a block away from her home. I fired off a reply and put my phone down just as Santana knocked and walked in.

"Hey. I thought I heard you. Dinners ready if you're hungry." I smiled and nodded, my stomach grumbling at the mere mention of food. Santana wrinkled her nose as see looked me over. "Though you can have a shower first, you look sticky. And no, I don't want the details." She growled as she walked out. I chuckled at her and grabbed my towel from the hanger. I had a quick shower and made me way downstairs for dinner, relaxing completely in the presence of Victor, Maribel and Santana. They asked how my training was getting on and we discussed it leisurely between mouthfuls.


	17. Chapter 16

**EAnIL - Lol, well i hadn't written any lovin' for a while so it's seemed timely. Plus getting all hot a sweaty, segue for smutty times. :) Thankin you.**

** - Thank you. Yeah i hadn't seen anything like this on here and the idea popped into my head one day so i thought why not. Hopefully i can develop it into something bigger one day, but we'll see. :) Thank you for reading and commenting.**

**Blue-Portrait - Thank you. It's nice to know i'm doing it properly if it has the desired effect. I know i could've stretch it out a bit more and taken longer for Rachel's persuasion, but i'm an impatient person and (I hope) it didn't seem too rushed, a little maybe but not unreasonably so.**

**So we are nearing an end folks. Not sure how many chapters left here yet, we'll see how long it takes to wrap it up. **

**Disclaimer: I own neither the glee characters or the glee settings, but the other stuff is mine!**

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My father insisted on 'sitting in' on one of our training sessions to see how we were progressing. I knew he had seen me fight before, numerous times, but the thought still made me nervous. Rachel was a whole lot worse.

"What if he thinks I'm useless? What if he doesn't think I'm trying?" It was the fifth time she was asking the same questions. I answered the same way I did the other four times.

"You're not useless, Rach. You're doing really well. And he will see that you're trying. You've come along so far. Trust me Rach." I cupped her cheek tenderly. She rocked forward on her toes to connect our lips in a sweet kiss.

Whenever you are ready child. My father's voice made me jump and I turned to see him enter along the same path he always did. I resolved to find out where it went at some point. I nodded to him and grinned. When I turned back to Rachel she was looking at the ground, the concentration plain to see on her face. I allowed a wry smile at her actions. I knew what she was doing. She was giving herself a mental pep talk; going over the basics I had taught her and revving herself up to fight.

Ready sweetheart? I gently sent. She nodded at me with pensive eyes. I shook out my arms and rolled my shoulders before dropping into stance. Rachel blew out a heavy breath and attempted a weak smile. We began circling each other looking for openings to attack and after a few rotations a saw her arm drop slightly. I aimed a swift jab to the weak area she had just created but she feinted and threw an uppercut to my ribs. I danced to the side and the blow glanced off my loose fitting shirt. I raised an eyebrow at her tactics; she had suckered me into making a move then retaliated. Clever girl.

I ignored the opening next time she dropped her guard a little, grinning when she let out a huff of frustration. She lashed out her fist; aiming for my face but I spun towards her outside of the challenge and jabbed her in the ribs. I resisted the temptation to pat her behind on my way past; very aware that Alggren was watching us intently. She turned to me, annoyance twisting her pretty features into a scowl. She narrowed her eyes and watched every twitch and movement. We sparred a little more before Rachel gripped my wrist hard and slammed a backhand across my cheek. My teeth gnashed together and I bit the side of my tongue sending a burst of blood into my mouth and down my throat. I coughed once as I sprang away and spit a glob of the metallic liquid into the grass. Rachel looked stricken as she saw the scarlet taint my white teeth.

Don't worry Rach, I'm fine. Keep going. I sent with a smile. She worried at her bottom lip before nodding and circling me again. I let her pounce, turning to shift my weight on my back foot and waited a beat longer than I normally would have. I ducked my head to the left to avoid the outstretched fist and snapped my foot up to meet the soft area of skin between Rachel's ribs and hip. She grimaced and skipped backwards, igniting a burst of pride in me. Usually she would stop if I connected with a solid blow and catch her breath. This time she took deep breaths in through her nose and presented me the other side of her body, protecting the area I'd just hit. Determination showed on her face as she began her next attack, throwing combinations of punches at me. I blocked them easily enough but couldn't find the space to launch my counter attack.

She landed a few minor strikes to my body and one to my cheek but I could see she was tiring so I took advantage of her flagging concentration. I stepped under her swinging arms and landed two blows to her ribs then carried my momentum through so I was behind her. I kicked out and landed a straight foot between her shoulder blades. She dropped to one knee and flexed her shoulders, trying to work the pain out. I didn't give her a chance to recover though; I slipped behind her and wrapped my arm around her neck, applying a gentle pressure. "Snap," I whispered in her ear. She huffed and swatted at my arm until I let go. I turned to my father who hadn't moved for the duration of the practice. "What do you think?" I asked whilst stretching my arms across my body.

"You have taught her well, my child," he said thoughtfully, "Have you trained as your counterparts?" I shook my head.

"I haven't. Rachel has shifted a few times and trained, though." I replied. He nodded, still looking reflective.

"How did that influence her?" I glanced back at Rachel to see her sat on the floor, legs extended open with her body bent over them; stretching her muscles out. I looked back at Alggren.

"She was faster, more precise with her shots and she had better balance," I told him. "But her temper was worse." I added with a chuckle. I could feel Rachel's glare burning into my back and wiggled my fingers in her direction as an acknowledgement of the look. My father just nodded and stood up.

"Do you think she is ready?" I searched the ground for the best way to answer.

"Soon." I stated simply. He tilted his head to the left and his eyes bore through me.

**Perhaps it is time to tell her why she trains. **I puffed my cheeks out and nodded, nerves starting their dance in my stomach. I watched as my father stood and flashed a gentle grin at Rachel as he started to walk away. I turned to see her return the look and add a little wave. I moved next to her and sat with heavy sigh.

"Are you okay?" I asked, gesturing to her ribs. A soft smile stretched her lips as she shrugged before she tipped closer to me and rested her head on my shoulder. "Rach, I need to talk to you about something." I started. She lifted her head and looked at me, panic creeping into her chocolate orbs.

"Okay," she agreed hesitantly.

"Do you remember the place I took you too before? The wasteland with burnt out buildings and brown fields where nothing grows?" She nodded carefully, still unsure about the conversation. "There is a reason why very little grows and nothing can prosper. The world was invaded some time ago and a curse was cast over the land. No one has been able to break the spell. That is where the Elders think we come in." I knew I had to word this very carefully. Leroy made it clear that Rachel didn't have a choice in his scenario and she had blown up at that.

"Okay," she repeated, still sounding uncertain. I took her hand in mine and ran my thumb over her knuckles.

"They think we can undo it and heal this world." She chewed at the inside of her cheek with a furrowed brow.

"How? I don't know anything about spells or undoing them." She absentmindedly scratched at a patch of skin on her bare arm and focused on the lush jade grass.

"There is a white witch that lives in a mountain range to the west but she tends to keep out of our affairs. It is thought she could help." I kept my voice light and hopeful.

"If she keeps out of your affairs why would she help now?" She asked logically.

"We think the combination of you and I; Schian and Hunter, would interest her long enough to hear us out." Her gaze flicked to my face. "But I'm happy to go by myself if this isn't something you want to do sweetheart." I quickly added. She took a deep breath and let it out through her nose.

"Why are you telling me this now?" She queried and I tried to read her expression but her face remained impassive.

"Because I think you're ready to hear it," I answered simply. "It has to be your decision whether you go. I can't influence you or demand something you aren't mentally prepared for."

"What do I tell my father?" She asked quietly. I picked a blade of grass from beneath my crossed legs and twirled it in my fingers, trying not to get my hopes up that she was thinking about saying yes.

"I don't know dear. Just be honest with him, I guess." She bowed her head and exhaled before bobbing her head.

"When are you planning for us to leave?" I smiled cautiously; hope blooming in my chest and suppressing the nervous butterflies still roaming in my stomach.

"Whenever we are ready. There are a lot of obstacles that we could meet in the mountains. Bellowcats and Mennyor are just two of the creatures that live there." Rachel's eyes locked with mine, a disbelieving smile on her face.

"Bellowcats and Mennyor?" She asked. I smirked.

"Yeah. I'm sure Bellowcats have another name, but that's how I've always known them. They have an incredibly loud roar that, if close enough, can deafen you for a while but it's also a call to their kind for back up. They look like a cross between a puma and a lynx but a little smaller but they can take down something twice their size. Mennyor are ugly creatures that look like apes but their legs are to the side, like a crab. They are vicious and pack a punch, but ultimately kinda stupid."

"Oh," was all she said. I raised a questioning eyebrow at her and she gave me the consent I requested. There were things I knew she wouldn't be able to express verbally so the only way she could be honest with me was for me to hear her thoughts. I concentrated on her eyes, looking deeper than the dark irises that always held me captive and the soulful expression that melted my heart.

**I don't know if I can do it Quinn. I'm not strong and brave like you. I can't fight like you. I can't fight at all. What if I fail? Or I can't protect myself and end up getting you hurt? You should take Santana. She can fight, and I know she would be able to look after you for me. **

I pulled back from her mental ramblings and wrapped my arms around her. She snuggled into my chest, her tears dampening my shirt. "Oh sweetheart. There is no one else in the world that I would rather go on this journey with. It's strange. A part of me wants you safe at home with your daddy where nothing can hurt you, but the other part of me can't bear to be apart from you for even an hour let alone a few days. You can do this. You are brave. You're the bravest person I've ever met."

She scoffed and sniffled, my chest mumbling her words slightly, "Because of my dress sense in public?" I snorted my laughter out of my nose and rolled my eyes.

"That's just one of the reasons." She raised her head to capture my gaze. "You gots this, baby-girl." She smirked at me.

"Thanks Santana." I opened my mouth in mock indignation then stretched it into a wide smile. She placed a gentle kiss on my cheek then leant her head against my shoulder.

"I should go tell daddy what happening, shouldn't I?" She questioned softly. I dipped my head to lay a chaste kiss on her forehead. "Home please, driver." I lifted an eyebrow again and chuckled at my love before I closed my eyes and sent her home with a steady thought. When she was gone I stood up and brushed my shorts down. I looked around then set off towards the almost indistinguishable path through the undergrowth. It went straight for about 15 metres then turned sharply to the left. The terrain gradually changed from brushland to tall trees that blotted out the view of the sky. After walking for a few minutes along to twisting path I came into a wide clearing. The treeline was uneven creating a serpentine boundary ringing a lush green lawn and a beautiful clear lake. Set at the back of the space was a well maintained wooden cabin.

I skirted around the crystal blue waters and peered through a small window to the left of the door. Inside it was mostly bare; only a table and chair occupying one half of the space with a dull grey stone fireplace behind and a simple sleeping cot on the other side. I frowned at the scene. It seemed largely out of place here.

"I wondered how long it would take for your curiosity to bring you here." I jumped and turned at my father's voice. He was leaning against the broad trunk of an oak tree, a gentle smile on his face. I glanced around the clearing again.

"It's beautiful here." I pointed out unnecessarily. He nodded.

"And peaceful." He added. I half turned back to the cabin, still unsure of its place.

"I don't understand why it's here." I told him. He pushed off the tree gracefully and moved towards me.

"Close your eyes," he instructed softly. I followed his command easily and as the world went black I felt him move around me to where I recalled the door being. A quiet creak indicated that he had opened it. I resisted the temptation to peek and squeezed my eyes tighter together. I wasn't startled when Alggren stepped behind me and gripped my upper arms lightly. I gave in to the pressure he exerted and moved forward with him into the small space of the room. "Open you mind, young one. See the room with your senses and not your eyes."

I frowned but obeyed his instructions and used my third eye to see around me. I gasped at the vision. I was no longer in the tiny dank cabin but in an almost palatial room. High vaulted silver ceilings topped elegant gold pillars, surrounded by crimson walls with copper vine flowers weaving delicate patterns over the surface. The floor was grey and white marble, reflecting patches of light from an unseen source. To my left were two long snowy chaises in front of an alabaster marble mantel piece. A round mahogany coffee table sat between them, the deep red offsetting the lighter colour around it. To my right was a sweeping marble staircase leading up to a second storey. My eyes flew open and the vision remained albeit slightly clearer and more striking. I turned back to the doorway and looked outside to see the same clearing, confirming I had actually walked into the little cabin.

"How?" I asked my father. He smiled and shrugged, as if it was the easiest thing in the world.

"It's a simple spell. You see what you expect to see. I've found it stops unwanted callers." I lifted an eyebrow and smirked at him.

"Get many door to door salesmen out here huh?" He tipped his head to the side and I felt him probe my mind for my meaning. I showed him what I meant, conjuring an image of a suited man calling at houses. When he understood he let out a rumble of laughter; a gentle sound that seemed to seep into every pour of me and lift me higher. I caught his infectious laughter and joined in.

**_QUINN!_** The scream echoed in my head so loud I covered my ears and fell to one knee. I instantly recognised the voice and the panic it contained. Alggren stepped towards me and helped me to my feet.

"What is it, my child?" He voice was laced with concern.

"Rachel. She's in trouble." I managed to force out, my head pounding.

"Go to her," he insisted. I stepped out the door and concentrated on Rachel. I imagined standing next to her and looking into her big brown eyes. I kept my eyes open for the shift, wanting to be ready for the scene I was about to enter into. I swallowed the usual nausea that accompanied the action and within seconds I was stood next to the petit brunette. I heard a growl behind me and before I could react, I was hurtling into the partition wall between the lounge and kitchen. I heard Rachel's shrill scream as my head and shoulder collided with the solid wall.

I slumped to the floor and shook the cobwebs from my head, trying to ignore the ringing in my ears and the sharp pain running down my arm. I heard Rachel cry out again and looked up in time to see Leroy stalking towards me. His skin was a shimmering dark green and his eyes had become completely black. I raised an arm to stop the swipe of his claws as he brought his hand down. A hiss escaped though my clenched teeth when his talons cut through layers of skin, scraping the bone painfully. I took my weight on my injured arm and lashed out with both feet, catching him in the midsection and chest; forcing him back and to his knees.

I climbed to my feet, gripping the wall when my head began to swim but I pushed through and set my guard in case he was thinking to attack again. "Dad!" Rachel cried, moving closer to me. "You won't do this. Not here." My anger flared at the tears wetting her cheeks and the way her chest heaved with each sob.

"You have to attack someone from behind?" I taunted, my temper getting the better of me. "How craven can you be?" I was careful to avoid any insults on his heritage; they were insults to Rachel as well and I couldn't do that. His nostrils flared and his gaze bore into me, forcing my skin to crawl and itch. This time I didn't resist the change. I pushed my wings out, ignoring the painful crunching of bone and flexed my lengthened fingers. I rose to my full height and looked down on the smaller man, delighting in the smell of fear rolling of him. He leapt forward and I set a defence but he wasn't heading for me. He dove over a chair and pulled a short sword from beneath it. I could feel the weapon change his demeanour; he became more confident and sure.

I stretched out my muscles and beckoned him forward with a lift of my chin. He swung the blade up, intending to catch my right side but I side stepped and pulled the sword from his grip. I glanced at Rachel. **Want this? **I asked gently. She shrugged but nodded. I carefully tossed it to her, hilt up, and she caught it deftly. Leroy cast his hurt gaze at her and she looked away quickly, ashamed.

"So you've chosen your side? You turn your back on your family to be with that filth." He paced closer to her, anger in his eyes and heart. I leapt forward knocking him back lightly with my wings and stood in front of Rachel. She met his eyes then, any embarrassment she may have felt overridden by rage.

"I believe you turned YOUR back on this family. In choosing a contemptible war over us, you deserted the people that depended upon you. So pardon me if I can't automatically adhere to your predetermined course of action." His gaze flicked to me, anger burning bright as any fire in his eyes.

"What lies have you been filling her head with?" His venom laced voice bit into me and set me on edge.

"No lies," I replied. "I've just shown her what she wanted to know. It's all been on her terms and at her speed."

"Oh aren't you just a saint." He sneered at me. I didn't counter; I merely raised a scaled eyebrow and stared him down. After a few seconds he averted his gaze, focusing back on his daughter. "Rach, baby. It doesn't need to be like this." He pleaded with her.

"No. It doesn't," she responded dispassionately. "But it is. You made it like this when you demanded I choose a side. I have something bigger to accomplish than the destiny you believed right for me." I noticed Hiram stood by the door, silent and anguished while his family were locking horns. I tried to read him but he remained shut off and distant. Rachel must have followed my sight. "I'd like you to leave, please. This is detrimental to all of us." She left no room for arguments. I couldn't interpret Leroy's feelings, so mixed and at odds with each other that not one was overriding the others. He sighed then set his resolve.

"Then I'm sorry. If you choose them, that's it. This is over." With those last parting words he stalked to the door and pulled it open before stomping out into the street. I stared after him as Rachel rushed to her father and wrapped her arms around him. I walked by and closed the door before making my way up the stairs to Rachel's bedroom. I closed my eyes and forced the change, taking on my human shape once again. After splashing ice cold water over my face and dealing with the three parallel gashes on my arm, I found some sweatpants and a baggy jumper to wear and pulled them on. I climbed onto her bed and wrapped my arms around my knees and waited for the sorrow seeping up the stairs to end.


	18. Chapter 17

** - Lol, me too. It's an old dance to them by now. :) Thank you for reading.**

**Blue-Portrait - It's not an end, just a brief goodbye. I hope I've written it in a way that you can kind of understand where he is coming from. Particularly in this chapter. If not then I need to readdress it. **

**So thank you to everyone that read this.**  
**Every single person that reviewed, You are amazing. Sometimes it feels like the chapter isn't good enough or doesn't flow well and then you get a good review and it gives you the confidence or the boost you need to get on with the next chapter. **  
**If you didn't like the story then I'm sorry I couldn't entertain you.**

**Disclaimer: I own nothing of Glee.**

* * *

Time passed in a blur in the confines of Rachel's room. The sun moved on its path across the sky to dip below the horizon for another day and the moon rose in its stead. People walked by the house oblivious of the events that had transpired within the walls. Parents tugging along reluctant children and runners being led by their dogs all continued on their way. I watched it all with a sense of envy and guilt.

Envy because I wished I could be as unaware as they were of what was really surrounding them and the bigger purpose at work in their own town. Guilt for the sadness and pain that I'd brought into the Berry's lives. I supposed it was pure selfishness on my behalf. I had wanted Rachel pure and simple. Granted I couldn't have foreseen these consequences or even planned for this scenario but I should've held my resolve and not let her in.

"Stop thinking so loud," Rachel's voice carried softly across the room. I merely sighed and continued my vigil at the window. A dog ran down the road followed by a red faced child shouting at him to stop. The dog, Charlie by the sounds of it, stopped and turned for a second. He watched the blond young boy get closer and reach for the red lead that was trailing behind the chocolate Labrador. Just as the boy was about to grasp the leash, Charlie shot off around him; his tongue hanging out one side of its mouth in a simile of laughter. The blond groaned began shouting 'Charlie' again as he spun in a tight circle and took off after the errant dog. I chuckled inaudibly at the scene. "Talk to me Quinn." Rachel tried again, still keeping her distance and remaining by the door.

"What do you want me to say?" I asked, hoping she'd lead the conversation. As much as I wanted to be the person she needed in this moment of time, I couldn't. I couldn't break the remorse at her lost family. I couldn't forget the people that had been hurt in this journey, and it wasn't over yet. I didn't want our task to begin. I couldn't bear for her to be in danger. A stray tear wove its way down my cheek, coming to rest at the tip of my chin briefly before dripping on the collar of the jumper I was wearing.

"Anything," she stated. "How you're feeling? What you're thinking?" She tried. I twisted round to meet her rich sad orbs brimming with unshed tears and I relented. I stepped closer to her and pulled her into my embrace, laying a gentle kiss in her hair and taking in her scent.

"I feel guilty." I struggled to say the words, the 'g' getting stuck in my throat for a second before I managed to push it out. She tried to pull out of my arms but I held firm and she relaxed against me once more. "I can't stand the pain I've wrought and the sadness I've created within your family. Just because I was tired of denying myself the one pleasure I sought after for so long. You didn't deserve this. Any of this. And I certainly don't deserve you." I took a breath, startled that I had rushed that out without thinking it through. I listened to Rachel's steady heartbeat and let it fill me.

"You're an idiot." Her voice cut through my thoughts and I jerked back, the words feeling like a slap in the face.

"I'm sorry?" I questioned, a hard edge creeping into my tone.

"You are," she reiterated. "You burden yourself unnecessarily with this guilt. It's not your fault this has happened. Once dad told us we probably would've ended up at this point anyway." I shook my head vehemently.

"You're wrong. It took less than a day for Leroy to make you hate me. Imagine how that would be without the influence of your feelings for me. You wouldn't question him. You wouldn't put up any resistance to his persuasion because there is no one else you would rather trust. But I **am** a factor. I **did **bring this upon myself and your family." I realised I had been pacing backwards as I spoke and I knew it was to distance myself from my words. I was picking a fight when there wasn't one to be had. It was juvenile and I was ashamed of myself before I had even finished talking.

"No. I'm not going to let you do this." She spat out, anger filling out her voice. "You think that throwing my actions or brief allegiances back at me will enable you to, what, get out of this long enough to leave me here and go on this journey by yourself? Do you really think that heaping all this guilt on yourself is doing anyone any good? Maybe you're right. Maybe it wouldn't have occurred exactly like this. Maybe I would've listened to dad. Maybe, maybe, maybe." She had calmed and her voice was soothing as she moved towards me. "I won't think about maybes or what ifs. Living one's life on what ifs won't get you anywhere. You have to play the hand you're dealt, right? Well, this is your hand darling. We have a destiny. Together."

I let the tears fall, forging flowing tracks down my face. Rachel reached up with both hands and cupped my cheeks. "Let it go sweetheart." I let myself mourn for a moment. I wasn't lamenting a loss for myself. I was grieving for the life Rachel could've had. She ran the pads of her thumbs under my eyes and I allowed a gentle smile. She swayed forward onto her tiptoes and connected our lips in a sweet and tender kiss. I rested my forehead against hers briefly before moving away with a sigh.

"Have you spoken to Hiram?" My voice was husky and raw with emotion. Rachel stepped back to sit on the bed and nodded.

"He wasn't happy at first. He doesn't want to lose me."

"Understandable. His world has been turned upside down you are the only part of that life that remains. You're his little girl, nothing will change that." I joined her on the bed but kept a little distance between us.

"It did for dad. He doesn't want me anymore." She focused out the window and worried at her bottom lip. I took her hand, rubbing my thumb over her knuckles.

"That is different. Leroy is in a different situation." I soothed. It was hard to sympathise with him but I knew it was what Rachel needed to hear. "He has been taught to follow this cause his whole life. He's probably in so deep that he couldn't change if he tried. I guess I know how that feels." And I did. It took a long time for me to stop believing the propaganda that Russell was spewing and start forming my own opinions. I had Santana to thank for that. I could always count on her to be honest and to never pull her punches. Both metaphorically and literally.

I felt a gentle blast of air against my neck as Rachel leant her head on my shoulder and let out a heavy sigh. "What do we need to do now?" She asked quietly, dragging a finger up my arm slowly before she rested her hand over the crook of my elbow.

"We need to sort out supplies. It's going to take a little while to get there and even if it doesn't, we don't know how long it will take for her to agree to do it, if she will at all. I need to talk to Santana and her family; I have a task for them." I thought over our charge and mentally slapped myself on the forehead as I realised one big problem. "We'll have to come up with an excuse for school. We can't have authorities prying into our situation." She nodded against me.

"I'll get daddy to talk to them. How long do you think it will take?" She mumbled into my collarbone. I shook my head, completely at a loss. I knew I could fly to the mountains within a day solo, but with a passenger I would need to stop more often and finding her lair could prove tricky if she didn't want to be found. We spent a few more minutes wrapped in silence, watching the stars appear in the dim twilight before I stirred.

"I should go. You'll want to spend time with your father before we go. I'll be back tomorrow evening to pick you up." She nodded weakly and pulled me in for a chaste kiss. "I love you Rach." I breathed against her lips. She smiled briefly and kissed me again.

"I love you too." I turned and left her room. I avoided Hiram's gaze as I made my way out the front door. There was no malice behind it; I just hadn't let go of that particular thread of guilt yet. I took a few deep breaths, relishing the crisp night air and set of towards Santana's. I let my mind wander while I was walking and I kept coming back to the fact I heard Rachel call for me while we were in separate realms. As far as I knew, it shouldn't be possible. I made a mental note to ask Alggren when I next saw him. I knocked on the door and waited for San to answer. I knew she would be the only one home.

"Where've you been Q? I was almost worried," she teased. I rolled my eyes and brushed past her and carried on through to the kitchen. I pulled a bottle of water out of the fridge then shut door.

"Rachel and I had training then there was a problem with Leroy." I was open and honest with her. I sat at the island and she joined me, taking the stool next to me.

"Everything ok, Skip?" I was struck by how far she had come, and I knew it was largely down to her relationship with Brittany. The human brought out the compassion in San and I was thankful to her. There was warmth in her eyes and softness in her voice and it made me drop my walls.

"I don't know. I have no idea how this is going to turn out. I want to keep Rachel away from danger but I know I won't be able to do this without her." I sighed and ran a hand over my face in frustration. "I need your help." San perked up at that.

"What with?" Her enthusiasm was replaced with suspicion almost instantly and I had to laugh at her expression. I downed the remainder of the water and began to outline my plan in detail. Santana sat there and nodded her head along for the first few minutes but by the time I'd finished her mouth was hung slightly open and her eyebrows were raised in disbelief. "No pressure then, Quinn."

"I know you can handle it. You'll have to arrange time out of school and Victor and Maribel will have to leave their jobs, but they know the score when it comes to our realm." She nodded then captured my gaze with sad eyes.

"What about Brittany?" I frowned

"I don't know San. I wouldn't recommend taking her with you, but I can't make your decisions for you." I answered her honestly.

"And the other Schian in the town?" She queried.

"Try the Puckermans. They are strong and you know how persuasive Puck can be." I took in the flare of her nostrils and the scowl that appeared on her face.

"You want me to take Noah Puckerman halfway around the world? I will kill him before we leave the state." I smirked. She was right, she would, but it would be a good test for her.

"Look. The Elders will help you. If Puck gets too ahead of himself, just let them know and I'm sure he'll fall in line. Give him a chance he might surprise you." She snorted her disapproval but didn't argue. I glanced at the clock and a wave of fatigue swept over me. I stifled a yawn with the palm of my hand. "I should sleep. I need to get everything ready tomorrow."

She bobbed her head and surprised me by pulling me into her warm embrace. "Don't do anything stupid, ok? I want you and the hobbit back in one piece." I smiled against her shoulder and nodded. She released me then cleared her expression, making a disgusted sound in her throat. "This emotional crap is sickening. Don't make me do it again." She softened her words with a wicked smile and I rolled my eyes at her antics. I excused myself and made my way wearily to my bedroom. I climbed into the shower and scrubbed the events of the day from my skin, taking care with tender wounds on my arm. Once I was dry I applied a decent bandage to it and climbed into the soft and inviting bed.

I slept fitfully, never really slipping into a deep enough sleep to feel the benefits and at 5am I groggily descended the stairs in a pair of jogging bottoms and a lightweight sweater. I grabbed a bottle of water and some juice from the fridge, drinking the juice immediately, then made my way out onto the streets. I choose to run in silence. It was peaceful, the sun was just beginning its ascent and it painted the sky a dusty orange. I made a circuit of the town, stopping half way to ease the burning in my lungs. I didn't mind the pain, it felt cleansing more than anything. When I had looped back round to my starting point I dropped to the grass and stretched my legs out.

"Did you enjoy the peace?" I twisted round to see Maribel stood at the door. "Santana told us your plan. Do you really think it'll come down to it?" It struck me as extraordinary that the older woman was looking to me for security and hope. I shrugged gently.

"It won't do any harm to be prepared. If what I think is going to happen, happens, then we are going to need everyone on board." I shuddered to think about it but at this point it seemed inevitable. With a sigh I pushed myself up and walked into the house with Maribel.

"What time are you leaving?" She asked quietly. I studied her face for a while and realised she was scared for me. I tugged her into a hug.

"Thank you for everything." I mumbled. I would miss her whilst I was away. This house had always felt like home to me, but more so in the last few months while I was living here. I felt loved and accepted. She nodded into my shoulder. "Tonight," I answered her question.

"That's so soon." Her voice was heavy and sad. I pulled back and tried to smile but I knew I failed.

"It's best to get going sooner rather than later."

"Why now?" She questioned as she wrung her hands fretfully.

"I don't know, Mami." She smiled briefly at the term but it was quickly swept from her face as the sad look returned. She bowed her head then looked at me once more.

"We should get you prepared then, mi querido. You have a long journey." I followed her into the kitchen and she pulled a large hiking rucksack from the table. "I found it this morning; it'll be plenty big enough for you I think." I thanked her with a smile and we began picking items from the cupboards that would be suitable for travelling. Packs of granola bars, dried fruits and nuts went in, along with a few bottles of high energy drinks and several bottles of water. I was very conscious of Rachel's diet when agreeing to the contents of the bag. Maribel had some loaves of gluten-free bread and some Pita bread which she wrapped in Clingfilm for me. When everything was packed in I excused myself to take a shower and get some clothes ready.

I relaxed under the jets and let the scalding water wash over me. When I stepped out I found San sat on my bed, staring into space. I smiled at her when she snapped out of her daze and dropped the towel around my body; ignoring the appreciative look from my friend. **Perv**, I sent to her. She jumped back and nearly fell off the side of the bed at the loud intrusion in her mind. When she had righted herself I was fully dress and staring at her with an amused look on my face.

"How did you-?" She asked sharply. I chuckled at her and picked up a pile of plain t-shirts from a draw. I placed them in front of her on the bed and turned to grab some pants to go with them as well as some underwear. "Seriously, how did you do that? I thought it was only Elders that could push thoughts."

"I don't know, I just can. Alggren taught me how to do it safely." I answered nonchalantly. She just raised an eyebrow and shook her head before she grabbed the stack of shirts and carried them out the room. I picked up the remaining clothes and some toiletries and followed her. I found her in the kitchen with my rucksack, laying the clothes next to it. I folded the garments neatly and packed them to the side of the food and left plenty of room for Rachel's stuff. With a sigh I tied up the cord and slung the bag over my back, pleasantly surprised that it wasn't as heavy as I was expecting. I said my good byes to the Lopez's, lingering a little longer for San, then left for the Berry household.

I was greeted by a sad Rachel and a worried looking Hiram. Rachel pulled me through to the lounge where she had stacked some clothes and food. "I didn't know how much we would need of anything so I thought I'd let you judge before I start packing." I smiled and dropped the rucksack carefully to the floor before lifting about half of the outfits and folding them into the opening. I slid the food in, nearly the same products that I already had, then retied the cord. She quickly took the remaining garments upstairs and I endured the uncomfortable silence with Hiram. She took her time to say goodbye when she returned and I left her to do so in private. When she found me in the kitchen, her eyes were red and puffy but she produced a smile for me. I took her hands in mine and willed for us to be in the perfect little garden beyond the Elders chamber.

When we reached the other side, Alggren, Alysai and Arthuur were waiting for us. The stood silent and resolute while we poured over the vague maps they had managed to find for us. When I had memorised them I nodded once and took Rachel's hand.

**Stay safe my child. **My father placed a hand on my shoulder and I took great comfort from the gesture. All three of the Elders led us on the path to the old cabin and through the clearing. After a few minutes we emerged at a tall wall. To the left was a thick wooden gate with three massive beams across, baring entry. Alggren and Arthuur stepped forward to lift the timbers from their supports. With a deep creak the gate swung open and before us the waste land stretched for miles. In the distance was the imposing outline of the mountains we were journeying to, standing proud and black against the deep blue sky.

I passed the bag to Rachel and stripped my clothes off while the others averted their eyes. Once naked I forced the change. Rachel was the only to make eye contact with me as I shifted. I stood tall, stretching my muscles out and I flapped my wings a couple of times to loosen them. With a twitch of my head I called Rachel over. She looped the bag straps over her shoulders, the sack resting against her abdomen, and I clicked the clips around her back to secure it. I pulled her flush against me, sliding my hands between her flat tummy and the bag. "Ready," I asked quietly; my lips pressed to her ear. She nodded resolutely and I sprang up with a hard flap of my wings. It took a few seconds longer than normal to get to a decent height, with the added weight, but soon we were on our way towards the imposing mountains and our daunting mission.

* * *

**A/N2: So we have reached the end of Beneath The Surface. Thank you for joining me on this journey, and it really has been for me. I've never written something the has reached 50k words before in first draft form. **

**There will be a sequel to this and as of yet, it doesn't have a title. As soon as it does, I'll post it on here if you want to find it.**

**Peace out **

**Sara x**


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